Guardian Angels Are Protecting Me
by Nymphadora-CullenBAU
Summary: AU Derek Morgan 15, of Chicago is enrolled in CPS with Spencer Reid 10, from Las Vegas. They're both sent to Virginia to live with US Marshals. But danger has followed one of them to safety & someone aims to finish what he started. Ch 20 up! COMPLETED!
1. Airplanes

_**This is going to be my first try at an AU story (Wish me luck)! :D**_

_**In this story, Morgan and Reid aren't with the FBI; they're both minors enrolled in the Witness Protection Program. This story is about the whole team, but focuses on Morgan and Reid especially. Morgan's fifteen, Reid's ten, and both of them are from their respective home towns. This also takes place in the present day; Morgan has an iPod. And, Reid was living with his father rather than his mother; his mom is placed in Bennington when he's just a kid. I'll explain that in a future chapter if enough people want me to continue.**_

_**Again, this is an AU fic; though the rest of the team is around, they are not part of the BAU (Except for Rossi and Prentiss. Gideon too, but he will have quit after Boston; I'll explain that in a later update if people want me to continue)**_

_**I don't own Criminal Minds! **_

* * *

"_Can we pretend that airplanes in the night sky are like shootin' stars/ __I could really us a wish right now, wish right now, wish right now" ~Hayley Williams, "Airplanes"_

Fifteen-year-old Derek Morgan wasn't one for sitting still. On any other given day, he would be out in his neighborhood, running with his friends, or playing football at the Community Center, under the watchful eye of his "mentor" Carl Buford.

Today, Derek was glad he wasn't anywhere near the Community Center.

Today, he was glad to be sitting in the Chicago O'Hare Airport, waiting for an airplane that would take him out of Chicago, away from Buford, away from the events of three nights ago

The images from last night were still cemented in his mind. He didn't want to think about it, but every time he closed his eyes, the images were there. And they terrified him, made him feel sick. He still remembered how, at the police station, they had told him it wasn't his fault. There was nothing he could have done for the kid... But still.

Derek ran his fingers through his hair and looked up at the woman next to him. Officer Elle Greenaway was supposed to be watching him until the Social Worker arrived. He had spent the last three nights at the police station; the first night he had drifted to sleep while waiting for his mom to get him; she had been sitting next to him when he woke up the next day. The two days after that had been because he'd been afraid to go home, despite the fact that Buford was in jail and would never see the light of day as a free man until Derek was in his 30s,' maybe never. But there had been people who were friends of Buford, who had threatened him; it was after his family's apart had caught fire that the US Marshalls had been called in.

Now, Derek was going to Virginia. Washington, DC, if he was going to give an exact location. They were just waiting for…

"There she is," Officer Greenaway said, standing up. Derek followed suit as a slim, blonde woman with a round, kind face walked briskly toward them.

"Hello, I'm Ashley Seaver, the Social Worker." She began. "You must be Officer Elle Greenaway and Derek Morgan?"

Greenaway nodded. "You said you had another child you were chaperoning?"

Seaver nodded. "I was in Las Vegas when I got the call about Derek's case; they thought it would be best if I chaperoned them both, since they are both going to Virginia. That was why I booked a flight that had a layover in Chicago instead of flying straight to JFK International."

"I understand," Greenaway replied before glancing around. "Where's your other charge?"

"Sleeping," Seaver said. "I don't think that we were followed from Nevada, but I want to get back to the plane as fast as possible." She then turned to Derek. "Are you ready to go?" She asked.

Derek wanted so badly to pretend that he hadn't heard her; for the past three days, everyone had treated him like he was ten years younger than he was, but he knew that they were just trying to make him comfortable. They said that he had suffered a trauma.

Yeah, he had. Just more than they realized.

With a hurried "Take care, Derek," to him and a parting nod to Seaver, Officer Greenaway stalked off, no doubt to return to her beat cop duties; Derek hoped that she would nab Rodney, because he needed to be taught a lesson after looking down Des' blouse last week.

Derek grabbed his backpack (With two clean tee shirts, socks and boxers, a pair of jeans and an extra pair of tennis shoes, as well as the copy of _Slaughterhouse Five _Officer Greenaway had let him buy at the airport bookstore, his iPod, a pack of gum, two comic books, the latest _Sports Illustrated: Swimsuit Edition, _three chocolate bars and a bag of Cheetos from the Chicago PD vending machines, last year's school yearbook, a photo album with pictures of his family and a framed picture of his father in his uniform), adjusted his Chicago Bears baseball cap, tweaked the zipper on his jacket and followed Seaver across the concourse toward the terminal.

"Do you want anything to eat?" she asked, motioning toward the restaurants and carts in the concourse. Derek thought for a moment before nodding, and they stopped at a Subway station where Derek got a six-inch Meatball Marinara, and Seaver got a six-inch Veggie Delight and a six-inch Turkey. Derek assumed that one of them was for the other person he was travelling with, watching as she placed the sandwich into her carryon.

Derek was halfway through his sub when they reached the terminal, where Seaver showed the gate attendant her boarding pass and passport before she walked through. Derek did the same thing and was following Seaver onto the plane a minute later.

They walked down the cramped aisle, passing the business men and women who were stowing briefcases and laptops while they checked the status of their meetings and chatted with clients before takeoff and entering the economy class. They passed families with noisy kids; Derek felt a pang in his chest when they passed a little boy and his father watching the luggage being loaded into the plane. They passed people who were going to visit relatives or vacation on the east coast; Derek swore he saw what appeared to be a honeymooning couple sitting by the emergency exit, sharing a kiss. Derek made a face as they passed, even though he knew he was far too old for that sort of thing. When they finally reached their seats, Morgan stopped and stared.

Curled up next to the window was a kid about five years younger than him. He was short and skinny, almost skeletal thin in Derek's opinion. His curly brown hair was messy from tossing and turning, and he was clutching a small homemade teddy bear in his tiny hands. His clothes consisted of a sweater-vest, a white shirt, corduroy pants, Converse and… were those mis-matched socks?

Seaver gently urged Derek into the middle seat, where he sat watching the kid until the beeping sound of the intercom sounded as the pilot began to announce protocol for the flight. The kid jolted awake, his eyes widened as he looked around the plane with… Horror? Worry? Derek felt his heart go out to the kid; he'd always had a soft spot for the younger kids at the Center; he knew how it felt to be the man of the house, to have to always worry about his sisters and mother.

"Spencer," Seaver reached over toward the younger boy, placing a soothing hand on his shoulders. "Spencer, it's alright. He's not going to hurt you. He's not here, remember?"

Spencer nodded, tucking a few loose strands of hair behind his ear before looking at Derek with confusion.

"Spencer, this is Derek Morgan," Seaver introduced calmly. "Derek, this is Spencer Reid."

"Hey," Derek whispered, holding out his hand; tentatively, the younger boy took it, staring blearily into Derek's eyes.

"Hey," he whispered back. A moment later Seaver gave the younger boy his sub, the Veggie Delight. In response, the kid thanked her before opening it and taking small bites, only eating about half the sub, if that. Derek watched him from behind his book, thinking.

_Poor kid must've had it worse than I did, _he reasoned before he took out his iPod, gum and _Slaughterhouse Five, _wondering what the poor kid next to him had witnessed that would have put him in this situation. Or was he like Derek, a Federal witness to a crime where the perp had been put away and was just waiting for trial, so the star witness was being put in a safe place until the day of the court appearance. Faintly, Derek heard the sound of the plane's engines starting up; they would be departing soon.

"Chewing gum is very beneficial for your health," a voice quipped suddenly. Derek turned to see Spencer staring at him.

"That so?" he asked.

Spencer nodded. "It relieves stress, improves memory and can alleviate air pressure in a person's ears when a plane is either ascending or descending."

Derek held up the container. "You can have some if you want," he said. "It's Peppermint, but it's good."

By the time the plane was rolling down the runway, picking up speed as it prepared to take flight, the two boys sat in their seats, lazily watching the runway stream past until the plane became airborne; Derek watched the houses and other building beneath them become smaller and smaller, and he found himself wondering if he would ever go back. After they had reached

Meanwhile, Spencer had curled up into a ball, his eyes fixed on Derek; there was something of a cross between an owl and a scared, hurt puppy in the depths of the child's eyes. Derek watched the kid, smiling as he curled in on himself.

"So," he began, wanting to make conversation with his travel partner. "What was with the gum statistics? Are you a genius or something?"

By now that had reached cruising altitude, the two boys had stuffed their gum into their napkins, and Seaver ordered their complementary drinks.

"I don't think that intelligence can be quantified accurately, but I have an IQ of 187, an eidetic memory and can read 20,000 words per minute." The kid shifted, his head laying on the window ledge.

"…So you're a genius?"

Spencer blinked. "If you accept society's quantification of my intelligence, then yes, you can say I'm a genius. Although I prefer the term 'exceptionally bright' to 'genius.' It makes me seem… approachable."

Derek raised an eyebrow in surprise. "And how old are you, eight?"

"Ten, actually." The boy yawned, finally losing his battle with the Sandman and indicating to Derek that the conversation was over.

Derek stuffed his earphones into his ears, chuckling as he watched the kid. But the smile died on his face when he saw the boy twitch, muttering something before falling still. For the first time, Derek saw the dark circles under his eyes, the pale skin, and the worry lines on the child's forehead. He returned to his book, his thoughts circling, and the song on his iPod speaking of making wishes from airplanes.

* * *

_A/N: Let me know if you want me to continue! :D_

_*~N_CBAU~*_


	2. Protecting Me

**_I'm glad to see everyone likes this fic so much! 16 reviews; thank you! :D_**

**_I just want to get this up before the Vicodin takes effect (Yep! They got me on the good stuff!); if you got a reply from me for your reviews and you didn't understand a single thing I said... I'm really sorry, that was the painkillers talking! 8D_**

**_I don't own CM!_**

…

_You, You're always there for me/ When I need you most/ Day and night you're by my side/ Protecting me. ~Aly & AJ "Protecting Me"_

Jennifer Jareau-LaMontagne, JJ to her friends and family, walked down the concourse to the terminal where she would be meeting her charge. It wasn't everyday that she was handed the case of a minor, but this wasn't every day. This boy, this child… was in danger.

She tucked a strand of blonde hair behind her ear and adjusted her jacket as she reached the end of the concourse. She walked toward the gate, watching as a plane taxied away from the window and toward the takeoff strip. She walked past an older gentleman, and if she hadn't seen his move to check his watch from the corner of her eye, she would have missed him.

"Jason?"

"JJ?"

Jason Gideon was a family friend of JJ's; they had met when she was first training for Witness Protection. He had been her teacher and mentor while she had trained, and they grew close. He passed on his experiences from working with the FBI to her, reminding her that Witness Protection, while rewarding, could also kill her; it was what had happened to his old team in Boston many years ago, resulting in him leaving the Bureau for the WPP.

It was at that time where she'd also met Will LaMontagne, her husband. He was a cop who had transferred from New Orleans, looking for adventure, and had met her while she had been getting acquainted with local cops to promote a program between the two agencies in case a witness was in danger; the theory was that in case a Marshall was indisposed, and the witness was in the wind, they would turn to the local cops for protection until Witness Protection could find the witness, assign them a new location and a new Marshall. They had dated for about six and a half months before he moved into her place, and six months later they were married in a small ceremony at a little white chapel out in the country. A year later their son Henry was born; Jason became the Godfather while JJ's college roommate and closest friend of all four college years Penelope Garcia became his Godmother.

However, the happiness was short-lived; Will was shot and then repeatedly stabbed by serial killer George Foyet, leaving JJ to care for Henry on her own. That was where Jason and Penelope had stepped in; they, along with Penelope's "Boyfriend" (Whom JJ was convinced was actually married in a half remembered ceremony when they were all wasted in Las Vegas), Kevin Lynch, a man who was exceptionally gifted with computers like Penelope (they called it 'exceptionally gifted;' JJ called it 'hacking'). After Will's death, Jason also moved to be closer to her. They now lived in the same neighborhood, sharing a small duplex in the suburbs of the DC area. JJ had bought the downstairs after she had married Will, and had thankfully bought out and began renting the upstairs when Henry was born. Jason had moved into the upstairs rooms after Will's death to help her care for Henry and because he knew that there was the chance that their work would cross over, since they had both decided to work with children in the WPP.

Thanks to them, JJ was able to keep her job, and stay in DC full time, like Jason.

Jason, who was now holding a case file in his hands.

"Do you know the name of your charge?" He asked gently.

She nodded before pulling out a similar folder from her bag. "I was reading it on the way over here." She replied, opening it to reveal the smiling face of a young boy. "Spencer Reid, age ten… Oh, God!"

"What is it?"

"This poor boy's had a tough life," she whispered. "He was born in Las Vegas… His mother was diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic when he was five and she was committed when he was seven. His father left when he was four, but moved back into the house they had rented after she was committed… And three nights ago, he was killed by Tobias Hankel, a local drug dealer turned serial killer. Spencer has no family left to take him in, and Hankel's still on the streets somewhere… If it wasn't for the fact that he saw Hankel kill his father, as well as the fact that he's could be a threat to the boy's life, Spencer would be in foster care in Las Vegas right now."

"Anything else?" Jason prodded.

"His file says he's a certified genius. An IQ of 187, an eidetic memory… His mother used to teach a class of 15th Century Literature at UNLV, and he was reading a vast majority of the books she was teaching by the time he was six; they clocked his reading time at 20,000 words per minute."

Jason smiled. "He sounds like an exceptional kid," he said, opening up his own file. "I have Derek Morgan, 15 of Chicago. His father was a cop, his mother is a schoolteacher. His father died when he was ten; a suspect shot him in a grocery store that was being robbed. Right in front of Derek, too. After the funeral, Derek got into a spot of trouble, some assault and battery, but the charges were expunged by a Carol Buford, the neighborhood Community Center leader." JJ noticed that Jason spoke of the man with contempt.

"Let me guess," she noted. "Buford wasn't as nice as he seemed."

"Actually, that is correct," Jason sighed. "Three days ago, Derek was walking home from football practice and heard screaming from an alleyway not to far from the Center. He turned the corner to see Buford strangling a twelve year old boy; the boy's pants were missing, and Buford's were undone when the police found him; DNA only confirmed what the police had assumed. The prosecution wants Derek out of Chicago until the trial; apparently, Buford has friends who will do anything to make the court drop the charges. Someone threatened Derek's life, so it was decided that he be removed from the area as soon as possible."

Jason looked up from the file; JJ followed his gaze to a plane that was now unloading in front of their gate.

"Yes, this is them," Jason said, answering JJ's unasked question. "There's a Social Worker named Ashley Seaver travelling with them."

As he spoke, JJ saw a slim, blonde woman in a business suit leading two young boys out of the plane. One of the boys had chocolate-brown skin with an afro on his head, which he covered with a Chicago Cubs baseball cap as he exited the plane. He wore jeans, a tee shirt and a zip up jacket and ragged tennis shoes. The other boy was pale and skinny, with shaggy brown hair and horn-rimmed glasses. He wore a sweater vest, a white collared shirt, corduroy pants, Converse and mis-matched socks and was clutching a homemade teddy bear in his hands. Both boys carried backpacks on their backs. Jason and JJ walked forward to meet them.

"Are you the Marshalls?" the woman asked. Jason nodded, and they both flipped their badges; the younger boy looked at them in awe while the older boy raised his eyebrows in an 'impressed' look.

"I'm Ashley Seaver," the woman stated. "This is Derek Morgan," the boy in the Cubs cap nodded at the two Marshalls. "And this is Spencer Reid." The smaller boy waved his fingers in the air before hiding himself behind Derek, burying his face in the older boy's sweater.

JJ knelt down to Spencer's level, smiling at the boy. "Hi, Spencer." She whispered. "I'm JJ. I'm-" She paused; what did she say to a child who had suffered a trauma like watching his father die? At least when Will had been killed, she hadn't seen it happen. She thought for a moment, thinking of something she could say to the child before her. Finally, it came to her.

"I'm here for you."

….

_A/N: I love House's drug of choice, even though I'm very much like Reid and don't like how it affects my mind! _

_Thanks to everyone who reviewed: DarkLavi, WallofWeird, bb1028, coffeekitten, Keria15, angeleyes46, cullensfanatic, Embry Moonflower, GoddessSumizofVenus, everHermione, t2k, SayidRocks, lulu-20-07, ccat. lurker, RogueSquirrel and Integer!_

_Integer: Thanks, and I'll get to it soon. But I'm thinking more along the lines of them catching our old friend Opal Koboi. Plus, I really wanna have Foaly complain about Reid's brain! :D_  
_t2k: I'm glad you liked it! More to come! ;)_

_I start my semester tomorrow, so don't be surprised if I suddenly disappear for a bit. Two English classes, a Music Theory class and lessons and ensembles can and probably will take up a lot of time!_

_*~N_CBAU~*_


	3. Cry

_**Hey! I'm back!**_

_**It's been really stressful; I need to get housing for next year, housing for summer, register for fall classes, do homework, understanding what my professor is saying in my linguistics class, getting started on final projects and such…. It's been a hectic time.**_

_**Warning for flashback; may be violent.**_

_**Also, can you spot the Harry Potter reference? ;)**_

_**Again, I don't own Criminal Minds…**_

….

_If I had just one tear running down your cheek/ Maybe I could cope maybe I'd get some sleep/ if I had just one moment at your expense/ Maybe all my misery would be well spent …. Can you cry a little? And lie just a little?/ Pretend that you're feeling a little more pain?/ I gave now I'm wanting something in return/ So cry just a little for me. ~Faith Hill "Cry"_

Spencer sat calmly on the bed. His backpack rested on the floor, leaning against the footboard the little boy softly kicked with his sneakered foot.

After JJ had introduced herself, he had taken her hand, stepping out from behind Derek, who would be staying with Jason, as the older man had introduced himself. The fact that the two of them lived on the same house, albeit on separate floors, excited Spencer; he had been an only child, and had always wanted someone to talk to. Spencer and Derek had clicked so well with each other, and Spencer was hoping it wasn't a one-time thing.

To the child, the room was unremarkable, almost like his old bedroom at home had been. It was small, and the single shelf mounted on the wall was stocked with books, almost all of them his from home; the only ones that belonged to JJ were the yellowed Spanish-English dictionary, a thick computer manual and the three college textbooks on Math, Science and Philosophy. The walls were painted brown, and the carpet was a nasty orange color, 70s' era shag style. The bedspread was nice: a white downy comforter which made the bed look fluffier than it was; underneath were light blue sheets with matching blue pillows. The bed was also nice, soft and buoyant, perfect for jumping on if he was ever in the mood. And at least the window opened, Spencer noted, closing his eyes as a soft breeze blew into the room faintly ruffling his thick, mop-like brown hair.

Dad had said he wanted to get it cut; they had been planning to go that evening. All Spencer had wanted to do was dart back inside the house for a second to grab a book….

_Spencer rushed inside, his father's call of 'hurry up, Spencer,' was ringing in his ears. He dashed for the bookcase in the living room, his fingers twitching as he read the pages lightening fast until he found the title he wanted_, Sherlock Holmes.

_Grinning, the child tucked the book under his arm, turning to race out the door, into the garage and out into the driveway…._

_But something stopped him… It was his father's voice, which sounded as though it was talking to someone. Spencer knew better than to disturb his father when he was consulting with a client or co-worker, but there was something… off about this._

"_I don't have anything you want… Get off my driveway, you… No, no, what are you doing? I have a son, you can't- NO!"_

_A scream shattered the silence of the evening, and Spencer, panicked, peered up from the window of the side door in time to see his father fall backwards, another man standing over him._

_Spencer wasted no time in opening the door, slowly walking out toward the other man who still stared at the limp, blood-covered form of William Reid._

"_Dad?" Spencer called weakly, clutching the book tighter to his chest. The man glanced up in surprise, and Spencer saw his face. He had to be no older than his mid-twenties, with short dark brown hair and the beginnings of a thick goatee._

"_Dad!" Spencer cried, hurrying toward his father, dropping_ Sherlock Holmes _on the driveway as he kneeled before his father's body. There didn't seem to be any sign of a pulse or heartbeat. Tearfully, he turned toward the older man._

"_Why?" Spencer whispered; he felt tears forming in his eyes. "Why would you do this?"_

_The man said nothing; he backed away from the grieving child, a terrified look on his face as he ran away down the street. Meanwhile, Spencer tried to put pressure on his father's wound, but there was so much blood. It was everywhere, on the driveway, on his father's clothes, on Spencer's hands, pouring form William's neck…_

_And then Mrs. Norris, the motherly old cat lady with the rose bushes who lived next door was there. "There's nothing you can do, honey; he's gone," she crooned, taking him in her arms as he buried his face into her shoulder, allowing his tears to fall as the police and EMTs arrived to confirm Mrs. Norris' words. _

_The red and blue lights flashed in the deepening gloom as the EMT's tried to gently pry the dead man away from the child that gripped the cold forearm. Finally, Mrs. Norris gently leaned forward to whisper in Spencer's ear._

"_How about you pack yourself a bag or suitcase?" she gently urged. "I think the officers want you to go with them."_

_Spencer tearfully looked up at her. "…Will you stay with me?" he asked, the quiver in his voice and his tearstained cheeks giving away his true age, despite his attempts to keep himself as mature as possible._

_Mrs. Norris nodded. "I'll stay," she whispered. "Now, let's go get you a big backpack for all those books you love so much…."_

_She would accompany him to the police station and hold his hand for the next three days until Ashley Seaver arrived to take him to Washington._

It was only a second. A second wasted. And ever since that wasted second, Spencer hadn't slept. There were dark circles under his eyes, and he always seemed to be on the verge of tears. He was terrified of meeting strangers and until he met Derek, Spencer had usually kept to himself, even before his father's… death. He knew it was grief mixed with Post Traumatic Stress, but the clinical diagnosis didn't change the fact that Spencer was suffering from it.

The past few days had been a nightmare for him; with his eidetic memory, it was like being forced to watch the same horrible death scene in a _Jurassic Park _movie, but it so much more real than the dinosaurs….

"Spencer, dinner!" JJ's voice drifted through the house, bringing Spencer back to reality. Wearily, he rose from the bed and made his way downstairs into the cheerful kitchen.

It was small, but bright. There was an older-looking stove/oven combination, apparently from the fifties, but the refrigerator/freezer was more modern, with a silver-chrome finish, and complete with ice and water dispensers. There was an outlet of countertop stretching from next to the sink and dishwasher that stood next to the fridge. It was there that Henry sat at a booster seat, looking up in surprise to see Spencer walking into the kitchen, and calling out happily in response.

JJ looked up from the stove to see him making his way toward the chair next to Henry's and smiled. "How do you like your room?" she asked.

Spencer shrugged. "It's alright," he admitted.

To Spencer's surprise, JJ laughed, making him jump. "I've been meaning to repaint that room and replace that carpet, but I've never had a chance. Plus, the children I usually take in as a Marshall are usually about Henry's age, so I let them share his room, and use yours as a guest room for my mother. Listen, how about we'll go out tomorrow and look at carpet and paint for your room. How does that sound?"

Spencer seemed to think about JJ's offer for a moment before his face split into a wide grin and he nodded excitedly. "Can I have purple walls with a blue carpet?" he asked

JJ smiled. "You got it," she replied.

….

_A/N: I hope you're all still with me on this one!_

_Thank you to angel, WallofWeird, SayidRocks, juniper294, Forever A Fighter, xXxOtAkU-444xXx, cullensfanatic, GoddessSumexofVenus, ilovereid, TheLadyPendragon, Reidemption, trestresfruity, and Farrahmack! You guys are awesome! _

_angel: Thank you! I hope this chapter was up to your standards!  
__WallofWeird: Thank you! I think you'll like this story; more of Reid's backstory this chapter and other things coming up later! ;)  
__Ilovereid: Thanks! I hope you enjoyed this chapter!_

_Thanks again, and I should have chapter three up soon!_

_*~N_CBAU~*_


	4. Sweet Sacrifice

_**Two quick things I should tell you:**_

_**One, I just want to remind everyone that I am a college student. Right now, I'm on the edge of finals week, and have what feels like 100 plus things I have to do. So, I won't be updating until after I'm done for the semester (May 20**__**th**__**). I'm also taking summer classes, but I've heard that things there are more lax, so I may have some extra time. I haven't abandoned my stories, don't worry. I'll be lurking here though, so send me a PM or something, and thanks for being patient with me!**_

_**Second of all, I have a contest! It started in April, and goes until the morning after the season finale airs (Thursday May 19, 2011). For full rules and other stuff, please check my profile page (And submit a story if you want; so far I only have one entry, and I feel like such a bad contest-holder). **_

_**Again; I don't own Criminal Minds; if I did, Thomas and Shemar would have contracts by now, the show would be set up for another three seasons, and we would be figuring out the reason for Reid's headaches during the season finale (And Doyle and Emily would be having a huge final battle worthy of Harry Potter-esque epicness that would end with Doyle's death and Emily's return to the BAU).**_

...

_Fear is only in our minds, / Taking over all the time. / Fear is only in our minds but it's taking over all the time. ~Evanescence "Sweet Sacrifice"_

Derek's eyes snapped open, the remnants of his dream still burning at his eyelids.

Well… 'Dream' wasn't the exact word that the fifteen-year-old Chicago boy would use; Derek felt that 'nightmare' was the more appropriate term. What was worse was that it was still there, on the edge of his mind, the events still haunting him even as he lay in the dark….

_Derek was walking down the street outside the Community Center. It was dark and the street was deserted. No gang-bangers, no beat-cops… Nothing. Chicago was a ghost town._

_Just the way Derek liked it._

_Suddenly, a shrill scream froze the stillness of the night. Derek jumped; he knew that sound. It was a sound of pain, fear, and pleading. It was the sound of a child in peril. And it was close. _

_Derek dropped his football gear, racing toward the alleyway just down the street, the one he used as a shortcut between his home and the Center, only to stop dead in his tracks._

_Carl Buford was leaning over a little boy, strangling him with his bare hands as he struggled to fight off the older man. Derek noticed that the child's legs were bare; his pants were missing._

_It was Damien Walters, he reckoned. Just like before._

_Feeling sick, Derek stepped into the alley. "Carl! Leave him alone! T-Take me, please! Not him!"_

_And then Carl's body shifted, revealing the face of little Spencer Reid, his face tinged with blue, his fingers still grasping at the hands that choked the life from him._

"_Derek," Carl cooed in a genial greeting. "Why don't you come join us? Spencer and I were just playing a little game…"_

_But then the tiny corpse spoke._

"_Derek," Spencer rasped. "Run. He'll kill you, too. Run!"_

_And then Carl's face was looming over Derek, his hand around Derek's throat…._

Derek shuddered again, throwing the covers off his body and slipping into the kitchen of the upper level of the duplex.

He stumbled through the room until he reached the refrigerator, pulling out the carton of milk that sat on the front shelf, opening it and taking a swig from it without even glancing around to see if he was being watched.

"I'd suggest you get a glass, but I think you're not in the mood for proper channels of food consumption." Jason Gideon's voice came from the doorway; Derek nearly choked on the mouthful of milk that was in his mouth. He quickly swallowed, coughing slightly before replacing the carton back onto the shelf and closing the door. Jason watched him silently, a neutral expression on his wise face.

Derek had been intrigued by the older man; after leaving the airport and arriving at the house, both Marshalls had set up their charges for school; there was a public school a few blocks over that houses the middle and upper grades. Derek would be starting as a sophomore that week, and Spencer would begin his week as a seventh grader, but with his intelligence, it was clear that he would be with Derek's age group by the end of the week. When the schooling arrangements had been set up, Derek had unpacked, and Jason had cooked a fabulous meal that Derek admitted was quite delicious, though not as good as his mother's home cooking.

Oh, how he missed his mom and sisters.

"Something on your mind?"

Derek, in his musings, had all but forgotten Jason standing in the doorway of the kitchen, which was decorated in a vintage 1950s' style, complete with period appliances (save for the fridge, which was very modern, sleek and silver). In the doorway that Jason now stood in there were a pair of swinging saloon-style doors, like in John Wayne movies. Derek looked up at the older man.

"It was nothing," he muttered. "Just a nightmare."

"Sometimes nightmares need to be cleared from the air, Derek," Jason replied. "And something tells me that this nightmare wasn't a run-of-the-mill, naked in Biology class nightmare that forced you awake, am I right?"

Derek found himself nodding. "It was Carl," he began uncertainly; Jason nodded for him to continue. "I was walking home from the Center, like I had done that night, and I heard screaming, like I did that night. So I went to the alley where the scream came from, and I say Carl, and he had Spencer… the kid that Miss Jareau is protecting… and he was dead, but then he told me to run away… and then Carl, he grabbed me and started choking me…. And then I woke up."

Jason nodded sadly, and Derek saw that the man's eyes were full of sadness and guilt. Derek looked away; he knew that it wasn't Jason's fault, but the look on the man's face saddened Derek so much.

Í know that he can't get me," Derek admitted. "But… there's still that feeling of unease that makes you think he's just around the corner, waiting for you to walk toward him, and then he'll…" the teenager trailed off, looking down toward his feet.

"Derek," Jason began soothingly. Derek looked up.

"What that man did to you, to those other boys, was not your fault. That man was… and is… a terrible excuse for a human being, and deserves to be locked up for the remainder of his days. You discovered what he did, and helped put him away. You will never forget Damien, and what Carl did to him, but because of what you did, and what you saw, he will never hurt another child again. Do you understand?"

Derek nodded, the small, thin ghost of a smile decorating his face. "I understand," he said. "Thank you Jason."

With that, Derek walked toward the man awkwardly hugged him and disappeared down the hall toward his room. Jason watched him go, nodding to himself as he did. "You're welcome," he replied to the retreating figure.

0o0o0o0o

In a darker part of Washington, beyond the cheery tourist attractions and the quiet residential homes and apartment, in a small alley outside a shady bar known for the drugs and the women that commonly cycled through, two men met under the buzzing and flickering security light illuminating the back door of this shady club.

One of them was a thin older man with a closely shaved head or salt and pepper hair dressed all in black. He leered at his companion, who was a younger man with a sandy colored beard and matching mop of hair dressed in jeans and a black sweat shirt.

'What brings you here?" asked the older man, leaning against the wall of the club behind him.

Wordlessly, the other man handed a newspaper clipping to the first man. "I've heard that you're the man to go to for help with a job."

"'Summerland Lawyer Slayed in Vegas Home; ten-year old son only witness, in protective custody,'" the man read aloud. "'42 year-old William Reid was killed outside his Las Vegas home early last night. His ten-year-old son Spencer was the only witness, and remains in protective custody. There is no word on the identity of the killer, but it is believed to be the work of Vegas' youngest crime lord, Tobias Hankel, 30.'" George Foyet handed the paper back to Tobias Hankel, smirking. "So you want help with shutting the kid up?"

Tobias shook his head. "His father was supposed to defend a friend of mine, Raphael. He was convicted for drug trafficking and sentenced to two years in the county lockup. He was killed the week before I confronted Reid in a yard fight. I want payment for Raphael's death."

"And the kid is your payment?" Foyet asked.

Tobias nodded. "Raphael was my right-hand man; if he's not coming back, I want a replacement, someone I can train to be as good as him. Even better, if what I've heard about the kid is true."

"Which is?" Foyet asked, licking his lips.

"The kid's supposed to be really smart. Intelligent. With his brains under my control I could expand my empire. Tobias Hankel would be the most feared name of both cop and criminal. Nothing and no one would be able to stop me."

Foyet pushed himself off the wall, a wide, manic grin on his face. He dangled the clipping in front of Tobias with one hand; on the page was a picture of William that had been provided by the firm, Spencer's school photo and Tobias' mug shot. With his other, he opened the back door to the club

"Step into my office, Mr. Hankel," Foyet growled. "And please tell me how you want this done."

….

_A/N: And the story has been set in motion…._

_Thanks to my lovely reviewers the-vampire-act, Sue1313, Kayla, Cosabella, jesusfreak100percent, Farrahmack, TheLadyPendragon, cullensfanatic, Reidemption, pottyandweezlby89, WallofWeird and fireball1012! You guys are amazing!_

_Kayla: I agree! Harry Potter and Criminal Minds are two of the best things ever, and combining them just makes everything EPIC! Thanks for reviewing, and I hope you come back!  
Cosabella: Thank you! I hope you come back! pottyandweezlby89: Thanks for being so patient, you and everyone else! Hopefully I'll have more time this summer, despite the classes I'm taking. WallofWeird: Yeah, it did feel a bit shorter, action-wise. Or maybe it was the word count. But I still hope you enjoyed it, and I hope you come back for this one!_

_Please leave a review, and don't forget to consider submitting for my contest! And again, thanks everyone for being patient with me!_

_Love,_

_*~N_CBAU~*_


	5. All Along the Watchtower

_**Hey!**_

_**It's been a busy couple of days, what with finals, singing for graduation, packing, cleaning and prep for summer classes. I actually had some time to write two chapters; the other one is waiting to be posted, but I want to add a chapter between this one and that one, so no one's wondering how this happens when these two characters haven't met in any visible capacity. Also, the dreaded writer's block struck for a bit. It's alright now, thankfully.**_

_**And that contest I told you about... It's going until the end of the month now. You are going to be able to turn your stuff in for it by June 3rd. Rules are on my profile page; PM me with questions and stuff!**_

_**Anyway... I don't own Criminal Minds; it's the property of the Mark Gordon Company and CBS.**_

….

_No reason to get excited/ The thief, he kindly spoke/ There are many here among us/ Who think that life is but a joke/ But you and I, we've been through that/ And that is not our fate/ So let us not talk falsely now/ Because the hour is getting late ~ Bob Dylan "All Along the Watchtower" (Cover by U2)_

Monday morning found Derek and Spencer standing outside the large brick public school building. Both boys were dressed in new clothes, with Derek in a t-shirt and jeans with a leather jacket. Spencer was in cords and purple shirt with a zip-up sweater. Both boys were in brand new shoes; the only sign that either of them were from out of town was Derek's old Cubs baseball cap, and the _Las Vegas _keychain hanging from Spencer's backpack.

Derek surveyed the grounds, taking in the other students as they studied, chatted and did other pre-school day activities. He noticed a few high-school girls looking in his direction, and he waved to them, a small, confident smile on his face. Next to him, meanwhile, Spencer shivered, glancing around the campus like a terrified squirrel.

This did not escape Derek, who put his arm around the younger man's shoulders. "You alright, Spencer?" he asked with concern.

Spencer nodded. "I'm fine," he admitted, clutching the strap of his backpack tightly in his grasp. "I'm just… worried."

Derek ruffled the younger boy's curly, feathery brown hair. "I'm sure they'll love you, man," he pointed out. "A little guy like you who knows the contents of a Math book from memory? You're gonna be the most popular guy in the classroom!"

Spencer smiled; Derek noticed the grip on his backpack loosened slightly. "Thanks for the vote of confidence, Derek," he whispered.

Derek grinned. "Don't worry 'bout it," he said. "Now follow me; I don't want to lose you on our first day here, alright Pretty Boy?"

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Aaron Hotchner was many things. He was a single father and a hero to his young son Jack. He was a widower, having lost his wife to a drunk driver 18 months ago. He was also a lawyer, and he sometimes consulted with his friend David Rossi and his profiling team within the FBI.

But until now, he had never been faced with this decision.

His friend and fellow single parent Jennifer Jareau, or JJ, had walked into his office, carrying a file with the WPP seal on the front. Inside that file was the most depressing life story that Hotch had seen. The content still flashed before his eyes.

10-years-old… Certified genius… Schizophrenic mother, committed… Father dead… Witnessed stabbing… High threat quality… Priority protection... Will be entered into custody of Nevada Child Services upon termination of Witness Protection….

Hotch looked up at her. "And you're showing this to me because?" he asked.

JJ sighed. "Spencer has no one left, and I don't want to put him in the system. I know I've only had him in my care for a short amount of time. I realize that once I sign the adoption papers, his case will most likely be handed over to another Marshall. But… I can't help it. His mother is sick and his father is dead. He needs a stable life, and the foster care system isn't a good place for that. They can't provide that stable life that he needs. I feel that I can provide that, and Jason is only a few feet away; he can help if I can't be there."

"And Henry?" Hotch asked.

JJ didn't need any prompting. "Henry loves Spencer, and Spencer loves Henry; it's like they were supposed to be brothers. I know I can trust Spencer around Henry and whenever Jason babysits, Spencer is always willing to help."

Hotch nodded. "I'm willing to start drawing up the adoption papers, but it will be a tedious operation, seeing as it's an out-of-state adoption, and the subject is a Federal Witness in the adopter's protection."

JJ nodded smiling as she watched Hotch begin to open the correct documents. "I can handle it," she replied.

"Then let's get started…"

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Derek made his way through the hallways of his new school, grinning at everyone he met. His day had been fantastic; each group of people he met was more accepting of him as the day progressed. He had introduced himself as the name he had been given by the Marshall Service (Franklin "Frankie" Moore), and immediately had the school fawning over him as he regaled them with his football stories.

But it was during the passing time before sixth period that his good day screeched to a blinding halt.

Derek recognized the floppy mess of brown hair from down the hall, as the two older boys attempted to stuff the struggling, squirming Spencer into a locker. Derek wasted no time pushing toward the three, determined to stop it from happening before it began.

But before he was halfway down the hall, three other figures stepped forward. By the time Derek reached Spencer and his tormentors, the other three were in a heated argument with the bullies.

"I would highly suggest you put him down," ordered the first boy. He was tall and thin, with shaggy dark hair. He was wearing jeans, a tee and a leather jacket and was carrying himself with a punk-like air. He also spoke with a British accent.

The bully sneered. "Make me, Mickey Mulligan," he sneered. In response, the boy slugged the schoolyard villain, who dropped Spencer and immediately covered his nose, which had begun to spout blood. He and his backup didn't even waste time to come up with a threat before turning the corner and sprinting down the hall.

The other two, a boy and a girl who could easily be his twin sister, knelt down to help Spencer to his feet as the first boy turned to Derek, a large grin on his face.

"Oh, don't worry about them," he breezed at Derek's questioning look. "Frost and Gohring are like that to everyone; they think they're the bosses of the school, but really they're arrogant little pipsqueaks." As he spoke, the kid held his hand out to Derek. "I'm Mick, Mick Rawson, over there are my partners in crime Adam Jackson and his twin sister Mandy. There's also Prophet, but he's at home with the flu at the moment."

"I'm Frankie Moore," replied Derek, taking the hand Mick offered him. "And that's Matthew Swan."

"You don't have to use those names," Mick said suddenly. At Derek's confused look, Mick explained. "The school isn't too uptight with its security when it comes to students. Prophet likes to hack the system sometimes. Anyway, he found your records and such, and my dad happens to work with your Marshalls, so when he found out he told us not to say anything to anyone. But we wanted to let you know that we know, so you can use your regular names; we'll only call you Spencer and Derek in present company, but to everyone else, you're Matt and Frankie, right?"

Derek nodded. "…Sure," he said, looking warily at Mick, who only had an easy smile on his face.

"I won't tell anyone. Neither will the twins," he gestured toward Adam and Mandy. "We're kind of the misfits of the school anyway."

Derek and Spencer grinned slightly as the five of them shook hands, reveling in the beginning of the new friendship they had begun.

….

_A/N: Sorry if it feels short... :)_

_Quick unpopular opinion time... As good/bad as it is that they aren't continuing CM:SB (I didn't mind the show; I really liked it), I wish they would. I mean, that season finale last night... That's gonna be a killer... They could have wrapped it up in a massive explosion where we all assume that Cooper's team all died there and let it be, but... Well, in their defense, they thought there'd be a season 2 in the woodwork... Hence the reason I "borrowed" Mick and Prophet for this chapter; the rest of them are gonna be around, too, but please don't let that turn you off toward this story._

_Thanks to my amazing reviewers: Sue1313, the-vampire-act, fireball1012, pottyandweezlbe89, GoddessSumizofVenus, TheLadyPendragon, mythepoeia, lastbloom, JaydeRyan, Rowan-san, jesusfreak100percent and Abigail Thalia La Rue!_

_mythepoeia: Thank you! I plan in continuing this for a while, snd I'm glad you liked it so much! :D_  
_Abigail Thalia La Rue: Thanks for the motivation to gett his chapter posted; I was kinda caught up in writing and planning before you reviewed. Quite surprising! Thanks! ;)_

_A quick heads-up about reviewer policy with me; nothing to do with you guys... I was scrolling through some reviews from an older story, and came upon this one review. And a few other things: Anon or Registered Member of FF, please don't threaten bodily harm to me; I don't know for sure if you actually know where I live, or where my family lives, when you say that. You can make hints (They'll be solving your murder next), but don't review with outright threats (Bring me (Insert CM actor's name here), or I'll go to your home and make sure you never write again! MUWAHAHA!). I'm being extra vigilant at the moment especially; I was approached by a couple guys who asked me for my number the other day. I didn't give it to them, and I got away by telling them I was meeting a friend, but it still really scared me._

_That being said, I really hope you review, and continue to do so! I love hearing from you, and my review button is down here somewhere..._

_*~N_CBAU~*_


	6. From The Bottom of a Well

_**In case you haven't heard the news, Thomas Gibson (Hotch) still has no contract for the 7th season, and talks have stalled. Basically, that means that Hotch won't be returning come Season 7. The problem is that the writers have already met and are sorting out what they're gonna write for the upcoming season, and actual production starts in less than a month (July 6th, if I'm correct). Obviously, this doesn't bode well for Hotch/Thomas; those of us who were hoping CBS had learned their lesson with AJ and Paget appear to have been wrong (then again, the whole thing that Strauss mention has been leading up to this; the writers may write this in as Hotch taking over for Strauss while she takes care of her mysterious assignment).**_

_**Rant over!**_

_**Summer classes are going well; I just finished my swimming class; it was a two week thing, so I have Communication, Writing and Biology that need to wrap up. Also, there have been talks with my mom about going to the Jersey Shore for a week; she's already rented a cabin for sometime in late August, after all my classes are done. **_

_**Also, I have discovered the magic of iTunes Gift Cards; guess who bought Matthew's "What Are You Going To Be For Halloween?" It's a very addicting song! :D**_

_**Anyway, I don't own Criminal Minds. If I did, TG would have a contract, the ladies would have never left during Season 6, and I'd have enough money to pay off my student loans and then some.**_

….

_And I feel as if I am looking at the world from the bottom of a well/ And I feel as if I am looking at the world from the bottom of a well ~ Mike Doughtery "Looking at the World from the Bottom of a Well"_

The days passed normally for the group of "misfits." Spencer and Derek were introduced to John "Prophet" Simms, a stocky kid with a buzz cut and brown eyes that gleamed with an air of mischief. Prophet was happy to be known as the group's hacker, and could easily access the mainframe of the school administration to look up student records and change grades as needed; three weeks after their arrival in DC, Derek's American History class had visited the Smithsonian, leaving Spencer at the mercy of Frost and Gohring. After rescuing the boy from the locker he'd been shoved into after seventh period, Prophet had taken it upon himself to lower the grades of the two boy's latest tests, causing them to be held after school for detention for bad grades as well as bullying. Derek hadn't been more pleased with the outcome of this endeavor.

It was also around this time that the two boys met JJ's friend Penelope.

She had been in the kitchen when they had arrived, banging in through the front door, Spencer chattering happily about the explosions that his Science teacher, Mr. Gibson had produced during class that day. Derek listened, smiling as he remembered doing that same experiment during his freshman year of high school; he couldn't believe how quickly his young friend was skipping grades, and figured that if he kept this up, Spencer would be graduating high school a year before Derek.

The moment Spencer stopped talking was the moment that Derek looked up in confusion; he saw the little boy looking at the brightly colored, plump and maternal-looking figure sitting in the kitchen with JJ and saw how the kid immediately froze. Morgan could understand that; some of Spencer's most recent encounters with strangers hadn't been the most pleasant.

"Spence, you're home! Hi, Derek," JJ greeted as they entered the kitchen. "This is Penelope, a friend of mine. Pen, this is Spencer and Derek, the two boys I told you about; Derek's staying with Gideon upstairs, and Spence is with me." JJ's visitor turned to face the two boys and smiled warmly. Derek knew what was coming and scooted out of the way moments before the woman descended; he had maiden aunts, and knew what it was like to be coddled by them. As a result, she descended on Spencer before the younger boy could blink.

"Oh! JJ has told me so much about you! You are so sweet," Penelope Garcia cooed; Spencer looked confused, seeing as he had never been mollycoddled before. He didn't have any maiden aunts, and his mother had been put into Bennington because of her schizophrenia; any recent memories he had of her didn't involve her talking about how sweet he was.

"Angelfish, you're so thin!" Penelope wailed. "Jayje, why is he so thin? He looks like a little tree; I swear he's shooting up before my eyes! Can I feed him?"

JJ smiled slightly. "Yes, you can, Pen," she replied, grabbing her bag and looking at the clock as Penelope swooped down on Derek as he appeared from around the corner of the living room, hoping the coast was clear.

"Look at you, Sweetness!" she cried, reaching out to pinch one of Derek's cheeks. "You are a handsome man! I bet you have the ladies all over you. You're momma would be proud."

Derek blushed and smiled at JJ, waving as she left through the open door; he knew that she was going to pick up Henry and some groceries for dinner.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Dinner was a very crowded affair in the small first floor kitchen; Gideon had joined them shortly after JJ had left and Penelope's husband Kevin arrived just in time for dinner. As darkness fell the seven of them were enjoying a dinner of home-cooked spaghetti and meatballs with vegetables and garlic bread. Five of the seven at the table were quietly eating, occasionally commenting in school, cases or the food; Penelope and Kevin were swapping stories of their occupational hi-jinks at the Bureau.

"…And then, Emily asked me if it was Photoshopped," Penelope giggled. "And I said, 'oh, no, Kitten. I hacked it, as is.' You should have seen her face!"

"And then Rossi comes in, looks over Emily's shoulder, and gets this look on his face," Kevin continued, gesturing with his fork. "He was trying so hard not to smile; he almost made it, too."

"I saw him crack a smile just as he turned away," Penelope confirmed, taking a bite of sautéed vegetables.

Kevin nodded. "I could've sworn I heard him laughing as I passed his office; hearing him laugh is almost as rare as seeing Hotch smile."

"I was going to ask if Hotch was still consulting," Gideon ventured. "I think he should go through the training; he could be a great Agent."

"He likes being a lawyer, though," Kevin argued, beginning to chew on a forkful of meatball. "'e hants to end as mu'h hime wi' hi' son as pos'ble."

"Kevin," JJ scolded, despite the slight grin on her face. "Don't talk with your mouth full."

"And chew with it closed, Sweetie," Penelope added, dabbing a napkin at his mouth. "What were you saying, if I may ask?"

"I said 'he wants to spend as much time with his son as possible,'" replied Kevin. "Hotch is all little Jack has left; his Aunt lives in Philly, and Hotch's brother has a catering service out of New York. Hotch wants to be as close to home as possible, so he stays with Penny when the team goes out.

"Is Cooper still with you?" Gideon asked.

Penelope nodded. "Cooper, LaSalle, Rossi, Prentiss, Hotch, Penny and me."

"Is it fun?" Spencer asked suddenly, looking up from his spaghetti, frowning slightly. "Working at the Bureau? Is it fun?"

Penelope smiled from her seat next to the boy and ruffled his hair in response. "Yes it is, kiddo; there are some moments that would easily earn an R-rating with a movie in the violence department, but really, it's a blast."

"Do you want to work in the Bureau, Spencer?" JJ asked him gently. "Would you want to be a profiler? Gideon used to be a profiler, actually." The older man nodded absently, discussing with Kevin about different anti-virus programs.

Spencer shrugged. "…Maybe," he whispered, playing with his vegetables thoughtfully.

"I think he'd be great," Derek said. "He's miles ahead of the other kids in his class; he's as smart as some of the guys in _my _class."

Spencer smiled as the conversation drifted back to other things. Maybe a job as a profiler would be pretty cool….

….

_A/N: Just saying this because this whole thing with Thomas Gibson, and AJ and Paget last year is really annoying me (Also, next year, Joe's and Matthew's contracts are up, and if CBS pulls a similar stunt, I will probably go all Mrs. Weasley on them). _

_Anyway... Thanks to all my awesome reviewers! fireball1012, Abigail Thalia LaRue, TheLadyPendragon, The-Vampire-Act, Sue1313, LennyluvsBrian, HannahlovinCM, cmsp, MegalegU, JaydeRayne and Miss MP._

_cmsp: Thank you! I had to kill someone, and Will fit the bill. I hope you liked Hotch and his role, and trust me, it'll get interesting! :D_

_Also, a quick update on my contest... IT'S CLOSED! I'm done trying to expand the deadline, begging for entries, and the fact that season 7 is looming on the horizon makes me quick to close it. There should be a poll up shortly (Sometime this weekend, hopefully). HOWEVER, if you're still interested in submitting, give me a PM ASAP so I don't forget you when I put the poll up!_

_Please review! It'll make my weekend (And week)! :D_

_*~N_CBAU~*_


	7. Get Out Alive

_**Hey everyone!**_

_**First off, heads up: Dont expect updates this fast from me; I just happened to have this chapter done already, and I'm now working on the next one! Second, the poll for the contest is up; it's on my profile... Vote for your favorite!**_

_**Also, I have an idea for a Prentiss return story; I just want to see what you like for a title...**_

_**And... 30 Days to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2!**_

_**I don't own Criminal Minds; otherwise Thomas wold have a contract by now... And Daniel Radcliffe and David Tennant would be slated to guest star during season 7.**_

….

_If you want to get out alive/Hold on run for your life/If you want to get out alive/Hold on run for your life… If I stay it won't be long/Till I'm burning on the inside/If I go I can only hope/That I make it to the other side ~Three Days Grace "Get Out Alive"_

There was an unused building not too far from the bar where Tobias and Foyet had met. In another lifetime, the building had been a gas station, pedaling fuel and snacks to weary drivers. Now, the metal pumps were rusting, the paint peeling from the exterior and interior walls. The rooms were empty and the debris of many gatherings of beings of ill-repute remained scattered on the concrete floors. It was here that they put their plan into action.

Tobias started it by hacking school records, looking for the little boy; before he'd begun doing bigger crimes, he had hacked into many databases, and the criminal still hadn't lost his touch. It didn't take him long to find the school, the home address and the distance between the two locations; as bare-bones as his system was right now, it worked well enough to secure what he needed.

As Tobias printed the route between the school and the boy's home address, Foyet walked into the building. He was carrying a roll of duct tape, a knife and a plastic bag of Chinese food. Draped over the man's shoulders were a large amount of blankets and dragging behind him was a large plastic travel kennel for a large-breed dog.

"Do you have everything?" the older man asked, setting the blankets on the crate and shoving it into a corner. In response, Tobias wordlessly handed him a map with a highlighted stretch of road on it. After looking it over, Foyet chuckled.

"I've got a van and some masks. We'll work this thing this afternoon when classes get out."

0o0o0o0o0o0o

It had been a month since they had started, but already Spencer and Derek were the talk of the school. As predicted, Spencer had skipped a few grades, and was now taking classes with Derek's age group. Derek, meanwhile, was Spencer's unofficial protector, along with Mick, Prophet, Adam and Mandy. Another group of friends they had made included Ashley Wilson, a girl who lived in their neighborhood, as well as Beth and Dan Jacobs, a 15-year-old brother and 10-year-old sister also within walking distance of the school.

It was on this particular day, a Friday, that Spencer and Derek were walking home from school, both laden down with homework from their teachers, that things changed.

"I don't know how much longer I can carry this thing," Spencer panted as they walked away from the school and toward home. The kid shrugged his shoulders, unsuccessfully adjusting his backpack so it seemed to weigh less on his tiny shoulders.

Derek ruffled the boy's hair. "Yeah, it's heavy," he admitted. "But you get used to it after a while, kid." With that, he moved ahead of the kid, grabbing his hand as he did so.

Spencer looked at a passing blue-green cargo van as it barreled down the street before setting his mouth in a firm line and hoisting his backpack farther up on his shoulders and taking another step down the sidewalk toward home.

It was just another day after school. But the normality of the day shattered within seconds.

The cargo van that had passed by the two boys just moments ago suddenly made a U-turn and screeched to a halt on the curb just in front of the boys. A second later, two masked figures, one with the face of Justin Bieber and the other with the face of Borat, had opened the doors and barged their way out of the van toward the two boys.

Derek turned back to face them. "Spencer, run!" he cried to the younger boy, who wasted no time in dashing up the street toward safety, dropping his heavy backpack as he did so. Past experience had taught him that he would run faster without the bulky bag on his back.

Derek, meanwhile, had slung his backpack at one of the masked men, "Borat." It hit the guy's leg and he collapsed, cursing. Meanwhile, the other masked man had sprinted after Spencer's retreating form, dashing after the tiny figure only a few feet away.

The first masked man was rising to his feet, trying to take down Derek again. Instead, Derek smacked him; the man's mask fell off his face, revealing a young man in his early thirties with a shock of blonde hair. Derek dropped his backpack, ready to beat the guy to a pulp with his bare hands.

That was when Derek heard a scream. It was a scream he knew well, and one he had never hoped to hear again. Horrified, Derek turned his head to see the other masked man, "Justin Bieber", had caught up to Spencer and was now carrying him back toward the van. Spencer was fighting the man, kicking and struggling, but it was obvious that the man wasn't going to let go easily.

"Let me go! Derek, help me!" Spencer cried.

"Hang on, Kid!" Derek yelled, sprinting toward the masked man and Spencer. He tackled them both, like he used to tackle players at the Center back in Chicago. Again, the other man's mask fell off, revealing an older man in his fifties with salt-and-pepper hair. This other man wasted no time in kicking out at Derek, hitting him squarely in the ribs.

"Oof!" Derek was pushed backward, the wind knocked out of him. He rolled onto his back and heard the sound of pounding feet running toward where he had come from. And then Spencer's voice rang in Derek's ears.

"Derek, help me! Derek, please! Help me! Please help me!"

Derek rolled onto his side, but it was all the movement he could do. He watched as the two men climbed into the van, the younger boy in the grasp of the blonde thug while Salt-and-pepper slammed the sliding door into the van and clamored into the front seat. With a screech of burning rubber and a cloud of diesel, the van roared off down the street and around the corner, disappearing from sight.

There were other voices, men and women calling out different directions; Derek heard "Someone call 911," intermixed with cries of "check on that other kid," and "did someone get the plates on that vehicle?"

And that was when Derek's body, overwhelmed with the stress of the day and the pain of his fight, shut down. The teenager closed his eyes….

0o0o0o0o0o0o

Emily Prentiss entered the conference room; usually when a day of paperwork was interrupted this late in the workday by a case, it meant one of two things. Either it was a bad one that deserved their immediate attention, or it involved kids.

This one was both, as she came to discover when Rossi tossed her a case file after he had gathered herself, Cooper, Kevin, Gina and Jordan Todd, a new agent who had just come from Counterterrorism. The contents of said file scattered across the table, revealing the photo of a little boy. A moment later, before Prentiss could take a closer look, Garcia hurried in, followed by Hotch, whose gaze swept across the room.

Todd looked up at their supervisor. "I didn't get a case file, or a call," she began, looking confused.

Hotch shook his head. "This one came to Rossi, Cooper and me from CPS. You wouldn't have received anything." As he spoke, he pointed the remote at the screen and a set of pictures came up, the first one being of the same 10-year-old boy posing for his school picture, his curly brown hair tucked behind his ear. Garcia gasped, shaking her head.

"You're welcome to sit this one out, kitten," Rossi gently urged Garcia, but the tech shook her head.

"I won't," she defended urgently. "I owe him everything I can to bring him back."

Hotch continued as soon as they were done speaking "This is ten year old Spencer Reid from Las Vegas, Nevada. He was taken 45 minutes ago from just outside George Washington Public Academy by two white men wearing masks who were driving a blue-green cargo van…."

….

_A/N: Feel free to totally freak out on me..._

_Thanks to my awesome reviewers Jayde Rayne, Love Angel 1705, the-vampire-act, Sue1313, MegalegU, JusticeIsBlind13 and Abigail Thalia La Rue! You guys are AMAZING! Thanks for sticking with me so far! :D_

_And my Prentiss return story... The summary is: Ian Doyle returns to DC. He's found that Emily's alive and plans to draw her out… using a member of her team._

_I have three possible titles:_

_1: Get Out Alive_  
_2: My Time of Dying_  
_3: See Who I Am_

_Let me know which one you like..._

_Please check out the poll! Please!_

_And please review! I love hearing your comments and such! :D_

_*~N_CBAU~*_


	8. Lithium

_**My poll is up, but I have been getting some complaints; apparently, people are getting an error message when they vote... And it isn't just mine... Until it's figured out, just PM me your vote and when the poll comes back online, you can vote for your choices.**_

_**I want to dedicate this chapter to my dog, a Golden Retriever named Charlie Brown, who passed away yesterday morning at the ripe age of somewhere between 14-16 years old; my mom was taking him to the Vet to get checked when he started having a seizure. Mom and the Vet decided that it was his time, gave him the shot, and he just drifted away. He's been cremeated and will be scattered with some of the other animals that passed away at the clinic. I'll miss him so much; he was quite a wonderful dog... :'(**_

_**Anyway, I don't own Criminal Minds! I wish I did, though.**_

….

_Lithium, don't want to lock me up inside/Lithium, don't want to forget how it feels without/Lithium, I want to stay in love with my sorrow/Oh, but God, I want to let it go. ~ Evanescence "Lithium"_

The first time Emily Prentiss laid eyes on Derek Morgan, she saw a guilty-looking fifteen year old boy.

He sat stiffly on the couch, his head bowed, feet shoulder width apart, elbows on his thighs and his hands clasped parallel to and between his knees. He didn't appear to be moving except for his left foot, which bounced quickly against the floor, and the rise and fall of his chest and shoulders as he breathed.

Careful to not disturb him, Emily perched next to him, close enough to show anyone who entered the room that she wanted to speak with him, but far enough away so that he had his own space and was free to get up and leave if he wished to.

Neither of them spoke for a moment. Emily watched him stare at his clasped hands, listened to his breathing, and felt the air become disturbed at his bouncing foot. From the way his body was positioned, she could tell that he blamed himself, and felt he deserved to be punished. But she knew it wasn't his fault. Everyone knew that. After a moment of this, she spoke.

"Derek," she began calmly. "I'm Emily. I'm with the FBI, and I was wondering if you could help me answer some questions about what happened to you and your friend Spencer earlier today.

Derek didn't look up from his clasped hands, but his foot stopped bouncing. He didn't speak, but Emily saw his hands tighten as she spoke.

Emily stared at him for a moment before he finally spoke.

"We were walking down the road," Derek whispered hoarsely. "Spencer was complaining about how heavy his backpack was; he had just skipped seventh grade and went into the tenth grade, with me. I told him that you get used to it after awhile, and he just… carried on, you know?"

Emily nodded. "And then what happened?" she asked gently.

For the first time, Derek looked up at Emily; she saw that his eyes were glistening with unshed tears. "And then the van drove up. I saw it go by earlier, just a minute earlier, and I should've said something, but… And then I told him to run, and I thought for sure that he was gonna get away, but… that guy… in the mask… Spence didn't stand a chance."

Derek paused, wiping away stray tears that had started to fall from his eyes. "And all I can remember is him, calling to me to help him, and not being able to do anything, just watching helplessly as the van pulls away, and… I tried to stop the guy, I did… But he hit me. They hit me and they took Spencer. And it's my fault. I should've stopped them. I shouldn't have sat there like that."

"Derek," Emily began. "It wasn't your fault. You couldn't have prevented those men from taking Spencer; you tried to protect him, and in doing so made their job more difficult. And not only that, but you saw their vehicle, you know what they look like. Because of you, we have plenty of information to chase these guys down and catch them. We'll find Spencer."

Derek nodded, wiping the tears from his face with the sleeve of his shirt.

"Did you see what masks they were wearing?" she continued.

"Derek nodded. "One was wearing a Borat mask and the other was wearing a Justin Bieber mask, but I managed to see their real faces."

Emily nodded, jotting down her notes. "Could you describe the men to a sketch artist?"

"Yes," was Derek's firm reply.

As Emily motioned for the sketch artist that had come with her into the room, Derek suddenly spoke again. "Will you find him?" he asked "Will you bring him back alive?"

Emily felt her heart go out to the boy before her, and without thought blurted out, "We'll bring Spencer home. I promise."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

David Rossi had known JJ since she had been in the WPP training; he and Will had both advocated for the partnership between the DC Metro police and WPP. He was also one of the first responders to the scene of Will's death; he had comforted the younger man as he had breathed his last, and had been the one to tell JJ the news. He had also stayed that first night, keeping watch over the now single mom and her son.

And now he was here with her, looking for the men who had kidnapped her minor witness.

"I noticed it was odd," JJ whispered as she recalled the events of the afternoon. "Spence and Derek are usually home by 3:30, and it was almost four. I thought at first they were at Jason's place upstairs, but when I opened the door, Jason was there, about to knock on my door. He thought they were in my living room."

"And that was when you called the police?" David asked.

JJ nodded. "I told them that I was CPS agent with the WPP, and that my minor charge and witness was missing. I gave them Spencer's name and Derek's name. Then they told me that Derek had been attacked on the way home from school, and that Spencer was nowhere to be found."

"What did you do then?"

Jason and I went to the house where the ambulance was. They were patching Derek up…" Suddenly, JJ buried her head in her hands, gasping as tears fell from her eyes. "And… t-they gave m-m-me Sp-pencer's b-ba- backpack."

Without another word, David wrapped his arms around the younger woman, rocking her gently as he rubbed circles across her back and whispered words of comfort in her ear.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

"I told you to keep him contained, not truss him up like a freaking turkey!"

"Usually I have my guys tie 'em up; I just sell the stuff or kill 'em to shut 'em up."

Spencer blinked as he opened his heavy eyes; there was something wrong, he remembered that clearly, but his braid was slower than normal.

What had happened?

He thought back over the day as best as possible… He remembered giving the presentation on _Lord of the Flies_ with Mandy and Mick during Mrs. Fowl's English class… There had been a lab in Science class; Mr. Gibson had given Spencer an A for… he couldn't remember exactly… Derek had slugged Frost when the bully had cornered Spencer in the locker room after gym; Mick and Prophet had kept close to him while Derek was in the Principal's Office… Ms. Gubler, the new Art teacher, had brought them to the Pottery Room that day, and they'd thrown pots on the wheel; surprisingly, Spencer had caught on pretty well, and was one of the few students to have completed a pot that was in the oven now…

And then he and Derek had walked home… Spencer's backpack had weighed a ton… And there had been a van…

The van! Derek!

Spencer's eyes widened as he remembered: The van screeching to a halt, the masks of Borat and Bieber leaping from the van and giving chase… Derek yelling at him to run… Cruel, harsh hands grabbing at his chest, his mouth… Derek tackling the attacker, fighting to save him… And then being kicked away as the kidnapper raced toward the van with Spencer tucked in his arm.

And then there had been the inside of the van….

"_Derek, help me!" Spencer had screamed as the door slid shut, the man who had grabbed him had deposited Spencer on the floor at the back of the van before climbing into the driver's seat._

"_Watch the kid," the man in the Bieber mask growled; 'Borat' nodded once before grabbing Spencer's wrist and forcing him to sit. He struggled, fighting the other man's hand._

"_No!" Spencer had cried. "I won't! Derek, help me! Please!"_

'_Bieber' had let loose a sigh of impatience. "Can't you keep him from struggling?" he asked 'Borat' in disgust. A second later, Spencer felt something hard hit him on the head. Dazed, he didn't fight as duct tape was applied to his wrists and ankles._

"_Now he won't move," 'Borat" told his companion. 'Bieber' made a huffing noise._

"_It'll be better if we can shut him up until we get there," he growled. "Don't you have your stuff?"_

_Without a word, 'Borat' produced a needle and syringe from his pocket, the needle already filled with a clear liquid. Immediately, Spencer screamed; he had never liked getting vaccinations from the doctor, but this was worse. Who knew what was in the syringe._

"_Damn it, make him stop!" 'Bieber' snarled. In response, 'Borat' ripped a piece of stuffing from the back of the front passenger seat and unceremoniously stuffed it into Spencer's mouth; the boy watched helplessly as 'Borat' grabbed his arm with one hand and plunged the needle into the boy's captured arm with the other, deploying the drug with a push of the plunger. No sooner had the drug been administered and the needle removed did Spencer's eyesight black out as he drifted into the darkness of unconsciousness._

Spencer realized that his hands and feet were still bound with duct tape, but there was nothing in his mouth. However, he was still groggy and tired from the drug, so he couldn't scream. He realized that he was trapped in a large plastic dog kennel that was lined with blankets, and there was a padlock on the door. Miserably, he curled into a tiny, tight ball. His knees were tucked up to his chest and his arms, which were tied in front of his body, rested under his chin as he closed his eyes.

His last thoughts before drifting into Dreamland were of Derek, and what he was doing now.

….

_A/N: __On a happier note... Thomas Gibson has a CONTRACT! He's been signed on for two more years; now I'm just hoping that there isn't as much tomfoolery with Joe's, Matthew's and Kristen's contracts. :)_

_Thanks to my lovely reviewers cullensfanatic, kdzl, MegalegU, Abigail Thalia La Rue, Reidemption, Wtiger5, Unknown, JaydeRayne, fireball1012, and JusticeIsBlind13. Thanks, guys! :D_

_kdzl: Thank you! I hope you enjoyed this next chapter, and I hope you keep coming back! :)  
Unknown: Thank you! I'm glad you're hooked on this story! Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please come back soon... :)_

_And please don't forget to review; I would greatly appreciate feedback and love for this story!_

_*~N_CBAU~*_


	9. Starts with GoodBye

_**I'm just doing a quick update now; I'm heading up north tomorrow morning, and while I'll PROBABLY be bringing my computer, I can't promise it; my mom's driving me up and she likes to keep her computer at home during these Northern vacations... And I know there isn't much Reid here, but I had to get this in. There'll be plenty of Spencer, Tobias and Foyet next chapter; I'm writing it right now!**_

_**Also... The state of Minnesota is in a full Government Shutdown! YAY! (not!) ...My school isn't affected but it puts a damper on my fiancial aid situation... xP**_

_**Again, I don't own Criminal Minds!**_

….

_I know there's a blue horizon/Somewhere up ahead, just waiting for me/Getting there means leaving things behind/Sometimes life's so bitter sweet. ~Carrie Underwood "Starts with Goodbye"_

JJ sat on the couch in her living room, lost in thought. At her feet was a small backpack with a _Las Vegas _keychain hanging from one of the zippers. She grasped the item in her hands, feeling every groove and edge of the decoration in her grasp.

Meanwhile, in the kitchen, David Rossi and Emily Prentiss watched the young blonde woman in the other room. JJ had gladly served them copious cups of coffee until Rossi had gently guided her to the couch and told her to relax for a while. Now, they watched her completely drop her strong front and stare at the backpack, a lost look on her face.

"She blames herself," Prentiss whispered sadly to the older man. "I know Garcia was here earlier, trying to comfort her, but…" she trailed off, shaking her head. "If I hadn't read the case file, I would have assumed that Spencer was her son."

Dave nodded, sipping his umpteenth cup of coffee. "JJ's lost so much already," he began softly. "Her husband was a loving and caring man, and they had a son together. After his death she realized that he wouldn't see Henry grow up. So when Spencer was assigned to her for protection, she wanted to prove that someone else wouldn't lose their life under her watch. She blames herself for both Will's death and Spencer abduction. She knows that she can't change Will's fate, but she wants to spare Spencer from that; she wants him to come home."

Emily nodded, continuing to watch the woman through the doorway until a little blonde boy toddled up, arms opened wide. _Henry,_ Emily reminded herself as JJ picked up the little boy and took the moment that his head was turned toward the kitchen to wipe the tears from her eyes; Henry waved sleepily at the two agents, who waved back wearily before the child settled his head on his mother's shoulders and closed his eyes as JJ walked away. A few minutes later, she returned to the kitchen, wiping more tears from her eyes.

Rossi spoke first. "Do you mind if we stay here for the night; I think you may need some company, and it's—"

"Protocol, yes I know," JJ whispered, walking toward the coffee pot and began pouring another cup for herself, rubbing her eyes and yawning. Emily took the opportunity to snatch JJ's coffee cup and the coffee pot from in front of the other woman. At JJ's protests, Rossi grabbed her hand.

"Jennifer, it's late," he whispered. "As much as I know how you would like to help us, you can't right now; you're tired, and Henry needs you. He needs you to be awake for him because tomorrow is going to be tough enough, and I don't want you to be falling over halfway through the day because you didn't sleep tonight."

"But Spencer," she whispered exhaustedly.

"Emily and I will stay up; if anything happens, we'll let you know." As he spoke, his pocket vibrated. At the same time, he heard Emily answer her phone.

"Prentiss… The sketches were a match? Who was… Okay. Garcia, are you… The pictures and the sketches are exactly the same? Okay, that… Yes, I can be there. Rossi is going to stay in case something happens… Okay. See you in a bit."

Then she turned toward Rossi and JJ. "They found a match for both the sketches of the men Derek described." She reported.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

_Derek was walking down the street that he and Spencer walked everyday to and from school. Spencer was up ahead, moving faster than Derek's surprisingly heavier steps; it was almost like the younger boy was lighter than air, while he, Derek, was weighed down by…_

_He turned around._

_His backpack._

_Derek quickly turned back at a sudden shout to see Spencer running back toward him, being chased by Justin Bieber and Borat. The faces of the two pop culture icons were distorted and their eyes were black with dilated red pupils. Their hands were claws reaching, groping, intent on grabbing the small figure running toward Derek._

_But the distance between the two was getting longer, and no matter how fast Derek ran, he couldn't reach Spencer, who was shrinking with the distance as he came closer to Derek._

"_Spencer!" Derek roared. "I'm coming! Just keep running!"_

"_Derek, help me!" the plea was distant, not quite faint, but far enough away to elicit a sense of fear from Derek; he wouldn't be able to reach the kid._

_Desperate, he tried pulling off his heavy backpack, but it wouldn't budge. Instead, the straps and handles snaked their way around Derek's arms and chest, sending him crashing to the ground. At the same time, a shrill scream split the air._

"_Derek! Help me! Please!"_

_The grotesque figures were closing in on the younger, smaller figure; Spencer remained just out of reach, but for how much longer?_

_Derek struggled against the constricting material "No…" he begged. "No, please… not again. Please… Don't! He's just a kid!"_

_And Spencer was so close, reaching out toward Derek's form when the claws constricted themselves around him and dragged him back away from Derek._

"_No!" Derek howled. "He's just a kid! Damn it, he's just a kid."_

_The screaming continued as a hole opened in the ground, and the grotesque kidnappers leapt into the depth of the hole, their captive wrapped in material that reminded Derek of the spider web from _The Lord of the Rings_ movies. Desperately, the older boy wriggled toward the hole, but before he could reach it, it snapped shut._

_Suddenly, there was a noise, like a low moan growing from the depths of the earth; it only took Derek a moment to realize that it was coming from him. And then the moan exploded into a scream._

"_NO!"_

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Jason Gideon awoke to the sound of screaming and pleading. Leaping from his bed, he burst into the hall and flew into Derek's bedroom.

The younger boy was thrashing, his sheets twisted around his body as he sobbed brokenly. Acting quickly, Jason grabbed the boy's arms, restraining him and began gently talking him out of the dream.

"Derek! Derek, it's only a dream. Wake up! It's only a dream, Derek, wake up!"

Derek's eyes snapped open and he glanced around the room for a moment, moving his arms and legs as he did so before looking toward Jason.

"It's only a dream," Jason repeated, and Derek nodded, wiping his forehead. "Do you want anything?"

Derek shook his head. "I saw them again, but they looked horrible; they were like monsters of demon or something out of a horror movie; they took Spencer and I couldn't stop them."

"You mean the kidnappers?"

Derek nodded again. "But it was the faces of the masks, the actual people from on the masks. They took Spencer and jumped down a hole."

Jason leaned over to wrap an arm around the teenager, and Derek seemed to fall asleep almost immediately, although his breath still hitched with sobs as he whimpered in his sleep.

Jason woke him from three more nightmares that night and never left the bed. He eventually fell asleep sitting next to Derek, his arm still wrapped around the boy's shoulders.

….

_A/N: 101 Reviews in eight chapters! Thanks you guys! **hugs**_

_Thanks to my awesome reviewers pippinheart, Abigail Thalia LaRue, Fairytopia, LenniluvsBrian, lightinshadow, fireball1012, Reidemption, JusticeIsBlind13, Unknown, SpencerReid1, Doll and the-vampire-act! You guys are AMAZING!_

_LenniluvsBrian: It probably won't be happening this story; I'd warn you if it was. Thanks for reading; I hope you enjoyed it and please come back soon! :)_  
_Unknown: Glad to see you're back, and still hooked! Thanks for all the lovely compliments; I hope to see you again! Please enjoy this chapter! ;)_  
_Doll: Thank you! I hope you liked this one; please come back! :D_

_I should be back on Monday evening; I have class Tuesday morning (Blah!) And The review button should be around here somewhere... there **points**_

_Happy Fourth of July! And good-night! :D_

_*~N_CBAU~*_


	10. Taking Over Me

**_Season 7 has offically begun! They stated filming Wednesday, and it's confirmed that Paget and AJ are BACK! YAY! :D_**

**_...About my update being later this time... After the Fourth of July, my choir teacher's husband died of cancer; he had colon cancer, the same as my dad. The funeral was this week, and I was affected by the events... It brought back some bad memories. _**

**_Also, I've started another set of summer classes this week; it looks like I'll be very busy, and writing stories may not become a top priority. However, I think my Biology teacher may harbor less-than-friendly feelings toward me... I won't go into details, but if you've read my Tumblr blog on the matter, you'll understand._**

**_I hope you enjoy this chapter; there isn't much Reid, but he's there. There will be lots more of our genius next chapter!_**

**_WARNING: (This may be a first for me...) Slight Child Abuse and Substance Abuse._**

**_I don't own Criminal Minds!_**

….

_I believe in you/I'll give up everything just to find you/I have to be with you to live to breathe/you're taking over me ~ Evanescence "Taking Over Me"_

George Foyet took a swing of his beer, watching his partner intently. Tobias was prepping a syringe, filling it from a vial he always kept on his person. Foyet watched intently, his eyes shadowed; he himself had only taken prescription drugs for the pain from stab wounds he'd inflicted in order to save himself from scrutiny while he'd been killing in Boston ten years ago, but he'd never self-medicated such a powerful illegal drug.

But honestly, Foyet liked his drink. It was his best friend when the pain from his self-inflicted stab wounds was more than what his personal cocktail of pain meds could hide. His doctor had always said to lay off the drink, but Foyet had ignored the man and continued to self-medicate with this particular non-prescription drug. Even now, he was happily buzzed this evening. They'd done their job, they hadn't been caught… life was good.

A shuffle and a small whimper interrupted his musings; Foyet lowered his beer to his knee and glanced toward the source, his fingers curving into fists as he eyed the plastic container.

Another whimper filled the abandoned gas station building, this one accompanied by sniffles and soft weeping.

"Is he making noise again?" Tobias asked, glancing up from his syringe. "I can go shut him up if you want." As he spoke, the younger man gestured with his now half-full syringe toward the plastic dog kennel, the source of the whimpering.

A second later, a soft keening noise was heard; both men could hear the unmistakable cry for "mommy" within that pitiful noise. But while one man sympathized as he filled his syringe, the other was at the end of his already frayed rope as he set his beer down and got to his feet.

Foyet ignored his partner, stalking toward the large plastic container and bending down to glare at the figure behind the metal bars. The kid, his head leaning against the frame, watched as Foyet came closer, moving his body back as the serial killer stared at him.

"I want you to stop crying," Foyet hissed in his semi-drunken stupor. "Stop crying for your mommy or your daddy or you puppy or your little friend from the bus stop or whoever and whatever it is that you're crying about, or I will open that door and pull you out… And I will give you something to cry about. Do you want that, kid? Do you? Answer me; do you want that?"

When the kid didn't answer, Foyet suddenly kicked at the kennel, making the boy yelp and scramble for a corner in the far back of the container. Foyet aimed another kick at the plastic container and kicked it with enough force to push it back toward the wall. A third kick made the occupant start whimpering again.

"What did I tell you?" Foyet roared as he aimed yet another kick at the plastic container. A scream of terror was his only answer as he leaned toward the door of the kennel, gripping the bars and giving the terrified form within a dark, almost feral glance before shoving the kennel away from the wall and standing to walk it back to its original location before returning to Tobias and sitting down to drink his beer. Tobias was staring at him.

"What's the matter?" the older man barked. Tobias said nothing and continued prepping his syringe, knocking himself out with the contents a few minutes later.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

It had been roughly 30 hours since Spencer had been taken. Penelope Garcia looked longingly at the picture of that sweet, innocent child that had been tacked onto the evidence board, along with the contents of his CPS file, the sketches generated by young Derek Morgan.

And, most recently, the matching photographs of serial killer George Foyet and drug dealer-turned-murderer Tobias Hankel.

Around her, the bullpen swarmed with the activity of agents consulting on cases, consuming coffee and gossiping about their family lives, their past cases and how horrible their coffee tasted and what they could do to remedy that.

Garcia tuned out the entire room, her eyes fixed only on the picture of the smiling boy on the board; she only tore them away in surprise when Kevin rested a hand on her shoulder, his face as tense as she felt.

"We'll find him, Penny," he whispered. "We'll find him and bring him home soon. I promise."

She nodded. "I'm trying to believe that," she replied, her voice breaking as she tried not to cry. "But I'm so scared. He's only a kid, Kevin. What if he…" her voice trailed off in realization of what she was thinking, a look of horror on her face; a second later, Penelope Garcia turned and buried her face into Kevin's shoulder, weeping bitterly as he tried to comfort her.

"Shhhh..." he whispered, stroking her shoulder and awkwardly rocking her as she bawled into his shoulder.

Above the catwalk, watching the two Techs was Hotch, Prentiss and Cooper.

"CPS just called Todd," Prentiss admitted. "They told her that they're sending Spencer's Social Worker, Ashley Seaver here; she'll be landing in four hours at JFK to help us if... when we find Spencer."

"And Agent Todd?" Hotch asked; he ignored her mention of the word 'if'; they knew that statistics, but there had to be hope. Two UnSubs meant there were better chances of finding the boy alive after all.

"I sent her home," Cooper replied. "This case was getting to her."

"It's getting to us all," Rossi replied as he walked past them. "Prentiss, Jennifer wants to see us. She's in the conference room with Henry… And I'll see if Garcia wants to watch him while we talk," he added watching the colorful woman in the bullpen dry her eyes at the sight of the four senior agents.

Rossi watched the woman in the bullpen for a moment before turning away and walking toward his office. "I want to find that boy, and I want him found yesterday," he growled.

As they spoke, Kevin Lynch approached the foot of the catwalk, a phone held in his hands.

"Sir, DC Metro is on line two," Kevin began softly. "They've found a body. They're at a suspicious fire at an abandoned gas station in DC. Based on height, weight and a partial fingerprint, they're estimating that the body may be Tobias Hankel."

….

_A/N: Yeah... Sorry about the cliffhanger... At least, I think I should be..._

_Next chapter is all about Reid and what happens to Tobias... I have it all written out, and will most likely post it on Friday. Unless my evil Biology teacher annoys me into posting early (I really don't like her (And it takes a lot for me to not like someone), and I don't think she likes me)._

_Thanks to my awesome reviewers kdzl, pipinheart, White Replica, Unknown, fireball1012, lightinshadow, MegalegU, LenniluvsBrian, v-babe, and Lila! Thanks you guys! :D_

_Unknown: I'm glad you're still liking it! Thanks for your compliments, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter! :D_  
_LenniluvsBrian: I like your thinking; do you need help with the poking and sharpening? I hope you come back for more! Thanks for the review! :)_  
_v-babe: Thank you! I hope you come back for more! :D_  
_Lila: I think you're right! Here's the update; I hope you enjoy it... ;)_

_The review button in down South a bit; please leave it a little loving... It's looking a little lonely... Kinda like Spencer..._

_*~N_CBAU~*_


	11. Animal I Have Become

**_It's Friday! You know what that means..._**

**_No, not Rebecca Black!_**

**_Speaking of today... I almost updated late last night, like 3 or 4 AM last night; I bought tickest to see Deathly Hallows Part 2 Wednesday afternoon. And a good thing I did, because my cousin called me and said they were sold out by Thursday afternoon. And after the movie, I was so hyped, it was crazy (My cousin smuggled us Red Bulls, which, as I found out the hard way, has TONS more caffiene than a caffinated Diet Coke, and combined with the mood in the cinema, and the fact that I'm a total Potter geek... It got away from me, yeah... Well, you get the idea)!_**

**_I'm expecting a call from my mother later today hopefully; I'm supposed to go home this weekend, but it's storming like mad outside, so I'm assuming that she's staying inside for the moment._**

**_And I don't own Criminal Minds! I wish I did, though... Dan, Rupert and Emma would be guest-starring in an episode this season if I did!_**

….

_I can't escape this hell/ So many times I've tried/ But I'm still caged inside/ Somebody get me through this nightmare/ I can't control myself/ So what if you can see the darkest side of me/ No one will ever change this animal I have become/ Help me believe it's not the real me/ Somebody help me tame this animal ~ Three Days Grace "Animal I Have Become"_

After Foyet walked away, Spencer fell into a light doze, curling his now untied feet close to his body, his hands, though still taped together, resting by his head. He had hardly been asleep for a few minutes before he awoke to raised voices.

By now, Spencer had figured out the names of his captors; he recognized Tobias Hankel from the newspapers back in Las Vegas, and from his memories of his dad's death. The other man was George Foyet, formerly the Boston Reaper, but now an expert criminal roaming the streets of DC due to a recent crackdown on crime in Boston. And now, they were fighting, the partnership they'd shared shattering into dust.

"What do you mean, you want payment?" Tobias' voice asked. "You never said anything about payment."

"You asked for my services," Foyet's voice sneered. "You came to _me._ Therefore, I deserve some form of payment from you. Economics 101."

"I gave you the drugs," Tobias pointed out. "I found this place and got the van."

"But you _need _the van, idiot," Foyet barked. "You can't take the kid on a plane back to Vegas; you've got every cop on the coast, not to mention every FBI Agent in the country, on standby to arrest you. You walk into an airport, you'll be handing yourself over on a silver platter. They'll take the kid and put you in jail… What will happen then I wonder?"

Tobias said nothing. At this point, Spencer's face was pressed against the metal bars of the kennel door, his heart pounding against his chest as he waited.

"Well, whatever you want, I can't give it to you," Tobias pointed out stiffly.

Even from this distance, Spencer could see the feral gleam in Foyet's eyes. "How about the kid?"

"What?"

"The kid," Foyet gestured toward Spencer. "Let me take him and train him. In a year or two you can come back, and bring him home. If he's as smart as you say he is, he'll pick it up in a heartbeat."

Tobias shook his head. "I can't let you do that," he growled.

"And why not?" Foyet leered.

"He's mine!" Tobias shouted. "I claimed him when I killed his father; I vowed that he would become my property! And now, since I finally have him, I will take my property, and my van, and I will drive back to Vegas."

"…I don't think that's going to happen," Foyet growled darkly, pulling something from his jacket.

Tobias didn't hesitate, dodging around Foyet and running toward the dog crate that housed Spencer, who instinctively shrank into the corner of the box, but kept himself as close to the door as possible; it might be a good escape attempt, the only one he may have.

But while Tobias was faster, Foyet was faster. Almost in the time it took Spencer to blink, Foyet turned toward where Tobias was running. The older man took three steps before leaping up to tackle Tobias and bring him to the floor. Tobias struggled, but Foyet simply straddled him, holding the knife in his hands as he watched his prey.

"Your property, eh?" Foyet chuckled. "Well, I've always wanted to hold an Estate Sale."

With that, Foyet raised the knife and brought it home, stabbing Tobias in the stomach. The man screamed, and Foyet immediately slapped a hand over his victim's mouth. Spencer cried out in surprise.

Foyet removed his hand, smirking at Tobias. "We need to keep it clean," he pointed, nodding toward Spencer. "There are _children _present."

This was followed by another harsh thrust of steel into flesh, and once again, Tobias howled. This time, Foyet didn't bother silencing him.

"I've always wondered," Foyet mused mockingly. "If he's the only piece up for auction, and I'm the only bidder, it looks like I won then." There was another flash of steel, followed by another stab, along with another scream. "Isn't that right?"

Foyet continued in this vein for a few minutes, stabbing Tobias and taunting him until the submissive man was silent, a pool of blood surrounding his still form. Foyet stood, walking from the building before returning a minute later, parking the van in front of the store. He made his way back into the store, where he rifled through Tobias' pockets to produce the syringe and needle, pocketing them and then cutting off the dead man's shirt before making his way over to the large dog kennel.

Spencer shrank back into his corner once more, moving completely away from the door as it opened. Foyet filled the doorway, his bloodstained knife glinting grimly in the gloom.

"Come on, Kid," he growled, making a sweeping gesture with the knife. "I haven't got all day."

Spencer sat, staring at the killer before him and weighing his chances. There was a loud sigh and a second later, Spencer felt harsh hands grab his bound arms and yank him from the confines of the kennel; he yelped as his feet left the ground, and he came face-to-face with Foyet's wrath.

"For future reference, you come when I say so," Foyet snarled as he shook the child's body before him. "You don't wait for me to pick you up and shake you like a little girl's rag doll, you get me, you little brat? Huh?"

Spencer nodded, trembling. "Yes," he whispered.

"Yes, _Sir!_" Foyet corrected with a hiss; spit flew through the air and landed on the boy's face as he nodded.

"Yes, Sir," he repeated in a whisper as he tried not to cry.

Foyet dropped him, letting the child land in a heap on the ground for a moment before yanking him to his feet and pulling him toward the door. When they were outside, Foyet produced the knife from his pocket and sliced at the tape binding the boy's hands before turning him around and pulling them behind the kid's back to re-tape them.

"What are you doing? Sir?" Spencer whispered.

"Shut up," Foyet growled as he escorted the kid toward the van, opening it and shoved him onto the floor.

"Where are we going sir?" he asked again as Foyet climbed in to secure the boy's feet.

In response, Foyet kicked the boy in the stomach; the man smiled as his captive cried out, repeating the movement twice more before straddling him and taping his feet. Then, Foyet ripped two strips of fabric from the bloody shirt. One he stuffed into a ball and forced it into the hostage's mouth, securing it with another piece of duct tape. The other was tied securely around the boy's head, effectively covering his eyes.

"I told you to shut up," Foyet snarled. "If you don't, then I'll make you shut up. I'm the boss… the _master_. If you don't listen to me, then I'll punish you. I'll tie you up, throw you in a dark place and leave you alone for a few days. Is that understood?"

"Mmm-hmmmf," came the muffled response.

Foyet ruffled the boy's hair. "I knew you'd catch on," he praised, pulling the kid's body toward the front of the vehicle and letting him rest behind the driver's seat. Finally, Foyet threw a blanket over the tin frame, effectively covering the child. His job completed, Foyet leapt from the back of the van and, producing a lighter from his pocket, lit a rag stuffed inside a remaining bottle of alcohol on fire and threw it into the abandoned gas station.

As flames licked the building and its contents, Foyet watched for a moment, a grim smile on his pale, pointed face before he climbed into the front seat of the van and hit the gas, his thoughts already elsewhere as police sirens were heard coming their way.

Meanwhile, on the floor of the back of the van, Spencer curled into a ball in the darkness, hoping for a miracle as the vehicle hit the open road.

….

_A/N: I can't stop talking about that movie! The theater only showed one preview (Sherlock Holmes)... We all DIED when RDJ was in drag! hahaha! xD_

_And the actual movie... I don't want to/ mean to give anything away, but OMG (Oh My Gubler) It was everything I thought it would be and more! I laughed, I cried, I screamed, I cheered... It seemed to go by so fast, like one minute it was starting up at Dumbledore's tomb and Shell Cottage, then I blinked and it was the big, epic final battle and epilogue (BTW, the BAMF award for that movie was a four-way tie between Harry, McGonagall, Neville and Mrs. Weasley. The awards for Most Surprising and Most Heartbreaking went to Snape, of course)._

_****SPOILER ALERT**** And if CGI is anything to go on, Daniel Radcliffe is going to be a very fine wine in about 20 years (Man, saying that makes me feel lke a Time Lord)!_

_Anyway..._

_Thanks to my AMAZING Reviewers cullensfanatic, pipinheart, Unknown, Reidemption, JusticeIsBlind13, MegalegU, Lizard Lover, LenniluvsBrian, fireball1012, Goddess-of-Genius, HeavensDarkestRose, Alayniecat and GoddessSumizofVenus! You ALL deserve to be sorted into Gryffindor (Or any other Hogwars House of your choice; take your pick)!_

_Unknown: Thank you! And I hope you enjoyed this chapter! ;)_  
_LenniluvsBrian: Let's hope that's not the case; poor Derek will never forgive himself if that happens! Thanks for the awesome review! :D  
Goddess-of-Genius: Don't worry; I'm just glad you came back! I enjoyed the dynamics in these relationships myself. Thanks for the review, Sweetie! :D_

_And please review! You make my cloudy days sunny and the Biology class bearable! :D_

_*~N_CBAU~*_


	12. My Last Breath

_**First off, let me apologize IMMENSELY for my lack of updating. I know I haven't updated sice the fifteenth... Of July... But I was busy with summer classes; as of right now, I'm worrying about the grade in my English class. Everything rides on me doing well on a research paper that the professor wanted me to revise (But seriously! How do you cite information that you know because it's basically common knowledge? Everyone in St. Paul knows Garrison Keillor has a house on Summit Avenue...). I also have two classes I'm taking in the fall where this English class I took over the summer is a prerecqusite; if I fail this English class, I have to redo about 2/3rds of my schedule, and that won't be pretty.**_

_**On another note, I'm going out of town a week from Friday, and we'll be gone for a week or so! Sadly, I may not be bringing my computer out East (And if I did, I don't think the cabin we'll be staying at on the Jersey Shore will have Wi-Fi, and I'll be too busy to update, or even read...).**_

_**Also... I'm not hating on Seaver; while she's not my favorite character, I really liked her, and I'm honestly annoyed with CBS for letting her go. And Rachel is a wondeful and delightful young woman who deserved better than what she got and truly enjoyed her time with the cast; from what I saw, it appears that she made a great and truly amazing friend with Matthew! A chance for a proper send-off would have been nice!**_

**_And finally... I don't own Criminal Minds! ...Sorry..._**

….

_Holding my last breath/ Safe inside myself/ Are all my thoughts of you/ Sweet raptured light it ends here tonight/ I'll miss the winter/ A world of fragile things/ Look for me in the white forest/ Hiding in a hollow tree. ~ Evanescence "My Last Breath"_

Prentiss and Rossi watched solemnly as the coroner wheeled the tarp-covered and charred body of drug-dealer, murderer and kidnapper Tobias Hankel.

Gina LaSalle came up from behind, worry clearly etched on her face. "What do we do now?" she asked the two agents.

Prentiss folded her arms across her chest. "Right now, our top priority is Foyet; we need to profile his next possible movements and track him down."

"And quickly," Rossi added. "Foyet killed his partner in a fit of anger, and now has a ten-year-old hostage. He'll be panicking, and it won't be pretty."

"Do you think he'll hurt Spencer?"

This time, it was Rossi who looked at Gina. "It's hard to tell," he admitted. "We profiled Foyet as a hebophile, not a pedophile. He's not going to get off on assaulting a child."

"Foyet has associates," Gina pointed out. "Some of them would be willing to do that."

"But he won't," Cooper said as he made his way over to the small group. "Spencer is a genius. Foyet may be willing to try and train him as an errand boy or associate."

"However, there is another factor," Rossi added. "If Foyet feels threatened or cornered in any way… there is a chance that he may dispose of Spencer to get us off his tail."

Emily shuddered slightly, remembering the crime scene photos of Foyet's previous crimes, and the picture of the smiling little boy on their profiling board. "Let's hope he doesn't do something like that; Spencer's probably scared enough as it is."

It was at the moment that Hotch approached the group. "Ashley Seaver, the social worker handling Spencer's case, is at Quantico with Jennifer, and they're waiting for us. Right now, we need to focus on finding Foyet. We find him, we find Spencer."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

JJ was sitting in Rossi's office with Ashley when the team got back. The two women were perched side by side on the edges of both chairs in his office, facing the desk. When he opened the door, they turned to face him; Ashley's face was tired and strained, JJ's was tearstained and blotchy.

"Henry's with Garcia," she explained, her voice thick with emotion. "He loves being with her, you know that. He wants to help with the case, like Jack does sometimes."

Rossi nodded, placing a hand on her shoulder and squeezing gently. "It's the best place for him," he agreed softly. "I'm glad he could be here; we're gonna need all the help we can get."

JJ nodded.

Suddenly, Ashley cleared her throat. "Agent Rossi," she began. "I just wanted to let you know that the FBI has point on this case, but Spencer Reid is my charge while in the Child Protection Services and is to be released into my custody after he's released from the hospital."

'But JJ is the Marshall assigned to his case," Rossi defended. "Shouldn't he stay with her?"

"Miss Jareau should have been protecting him when he was kidnapped, not another Witness barely five years older than him."

"I have other Witnesses," JJ whispered. "I-I can't keep an eye on all of them. Derek did what he could, and what he did was very brave and selfless."

"Even if it was brave," Ashley said. "It was unnecessary. Also, the fact remains that Mr. Tobias Hankel has been identified as the deceased party in the fire, which means that Spencer's no longer at risk and has no need for Witness Protection, which means that he'll accompany me to Las Vegas, where he will be placed in a foster home until such time as he is adopted or turns 18."

"Actually," a man's voice drifted from the office door; the three occupants turned to see Hotch with Gideon and Derek, who was leaning against the doorway, Chicago Cubs cap pulled low over his afro. "Jennifer Jareau is currently in the process of adopting Spencer Reid. As of the termination of his Protection detail, he was placed into the care of Jennifer Jareau, making her his legal guardian." As he spoke, Hotch produced a legal-sized manila envelope with an important-looking seal that had recently been broken. "It has Spencer's name listed as her adoptive son, and is signed by a judge effective Tuesday afternoon. You can see for yourself if you like."

Ashley's mouth flopped open for a moment as she tried to speak.

"Unless you have something to say," Gideon pressed. "You are hereby relieved of your duties as Spencer's Social Worker, and are free to leave."

Calmly, Ashley stood up, brushed some invisible dirt from her skirt and moved past the crowd gathered at the door, down to the bullpen and out the double doors.

Derek turned from Hotch and the envelope to JJ in Rossi's office. "You mean it?" he asked. "You're adopting Spencer?"

"Yes, I am," JJ replied. As soon as she spoke, Derek raced forward and wrapped his arms around JJ's neck in a hug. "Thank you," he whispered.

JJ said nothing as she returned the hug, rubbing the back of the teenager before her; she locked eyes with Gideon instead. Only the older man saw the tears that fell down her face.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

The West Bend neighborhood was quiet, all the families sound asleep, their houses dark and still. A single dog barked at a panel van as it rolled up to a house at the farthest end of the development, parking in front of the "Vacant" sign that stood at the end of the driveway.

The engine turned over and was silent.

A moment after the engine died, a figure crept from the front of the car and toward the front door, where it forced the locks open with a few quick motions with the tools from a lock-picking set in the figure's pocket. The door opened whisper-silent, revealing a dark hardwood living room floor and tiled kitchen off to the side. The man ducked in, only to return a moment later, apparently satisfied.

George Foyet strode toward the panel van, quickly opening it and removing a bundle of blankets before turning and making his way into the house. He walked quickly toward a door, opening it with a hip-check to discover a staircase into the basement. He gleefully took the steps, turning left once he reached the bottom before moving down a hallway to a small area that might have once been a laundry room. Items were scattered around the room, including a mattress, dog leash, chain, couch pillow and a small variety of clothes.

He set down his bundle of blankets on the mattress, and unwrapped them to reveal an unconscious ten-year-old Spencer Reid, still completely restrained. The older man brushed his finger against the boy's neck to find a strong, steady pulse beating under his neck before hurriedly collecting the items on the floor. The clothes he left alone but the other stuff would come in handy. He grabbed the pillow and placed it on one edge of the mattress before grabbing the dog collar and the chain, which was easily twice Foyet's height.

A soft moan interrupted Foyet's thought process; Spencer was waking up. Foyet quickly stalked over to the mattress, pulling out his knife as he did so. He removed the blindfold, revealing a pair of bloodshot, teary brown eyes with faint tear tracks running down the child's cheeks.

"Mmmmhmmmm," whimpered the boy. Foyet ignored him as he cut the tape from the boy's ankles and wrists, only to retie his hands in front of him again. "Mmmmmhmmmm."

For some reason, Foyet found himself stroking the boy's head. "I'm going to remove the gag," he began. "And when I do, you are not to make a noise, or else I'll cut off an ear or a finger and then give you something to cry about." As he spoke, Foyet held the knife in front of the boy and made it dance around the kid; the instrument traced lines in the air around the child, who nodded fearfully. Foyet chuckled before grabbing at the edge of the tape on the boy's mouth and pulled it off with a quick flick of his wrist.

Spencr moaned before he opened his mouth and spat out the fabric from Tobias' tee shirt. A second later, Foyet grabbed the boy by his hair, yanking him to his feet as he yelped.

"If you fight me, I'll cut off a finger," Foyet hissed into the boy's ear. "Do you understand?"

Spencer nodded "Yes… sir," he whispered.

A moment later, Foyet had fitted the collar around the boy's neck, clipped it to the chain and wrapped the chain twice around a rusty metal pipe against the wall before producing the padlock from the front of the house and clicking it shut against the chain, effectively securing the chain, and child, to the pipe. The chain was long enough to give the kid some leeway in the basement, but short enough to keep him in the room. As Foyet watched, the kid curled up on the mattress, his head resting on the pillow and wide brown eyes staring at him.

"Sleep tight," Foyet mockingly cooed as he walked out the door, slamming it shut as the boy watched.

….

_A/N: _

_Admit it, you all want to salt and burn Foyet's bones, don't you? Yep, it was Doctor Who last chapter, now it's Supernatural!_

_Thanks to my awesome reviewers lovesreidforever, pipinheart, Reidemption, Lizard-Lover, The-Vampire-Act, SpencerReid1, JusticeIsBlind13, MegaLegU, Fireball1012, Goddess-of-Geniusm LenniluvsBrian, LadySarah14, SugarKane01, pottyandwheezlbe89, GoldenDragonGirlnot log in, and nympha fluminis!_

_Goddess-of-Genius: I know; I'm leaving in a week for a New Jersey vacation, and I won't be able to see Fright Night! :( ...Anton, David, wait for me! :D_  
_LenniluvsBrian: You are more than welcome to attack Foyet with your point sticks, my dear! Thanks for the review!:D_  
_GoldenDragonGirl: Thank you! And welcome; I hope you stick around! :D_

_Also... There's a poll on my profile from a contest I had back in June; two of the choices are tied for first, and I would appreciate it if people went to my profile, checked out the stories that are on it (The links are on my page), and voted for their favorites because I want to annouce the winner so very badly._

_Please review (If you aren't mad about the long wait. And if you are, still review!) ...Please?_

_*~N_CBAU~*_


	13. Death Whispered a Lullaby

**_I know that it's probably redundant to say "I'm sorry" when it comes to waiting so long to post an update, but I really, really am sorry; I've been so busy with classes, and the newspaper, and I had writer's block, and I'm having roommate issues, slight headaches, I lost my iPod and my brother gave me his old one (I thought it was the iTouch he had with a huge crack in the screen, but he says that it's officially dead. Like dead dead, like never coming back dead). _**

**_Also, my writing classes are eating all my muses, Brit Lit is harder than I thought, my Creative Writing professor knows I've been working on a novel and wants me (Along with several of my classmates who have also written novels) to share them all in class. I only have half a typed page of one novel, and the rest are scattered in notebooks at home somewhere. Plus, I need to find time to practice my voice and violin lessons, and exercise, my mom's getting on my butt for all sorts of crap (hygiene, friends, lunch etc)._**

**_ That's my life! But you're not here for that; you're here for my story! And for the lack of updates, I have posted an extra long chapter here! :D  
_**

**_Once again, I don't own Criminal Minds; if I did, the Reid/Morgan Prank War would have had a month-long story arc! :D  
_**

….

_Out on the road there are fireflies circling/Deep in the woods, where the lost souls hide/Over the hill there are men returning/Trying to find some peace of mind/Oh Sleep my child. ~Opeth "Death Whispered a Lullaby" _

It was dark in the basement, ten-year-old Spencer Reid noted.

This wasn't the kind of darkness that he was used to, the dark-bedroom-but-there's-a-nightlight-by-the-bed dark. The was an all-consuming darkness, the dark that only came when there wasn't any light to be found. It was the darkness that he remembered from the police station, when he had been unable to return home because the house was a crime scene. It was the darkness that had been in the van when he'd first been taken, the darkness from the dog kennel, and the darkness from under the thick blanket and blindfold that had covered him before he came here.

Spencer shifted, making the chain rattle as he moved; it seemed that no matter which way he turned, the collar just made the child seem more uncomfortable. Desperately, his taped hands scrabbled at the collar, but Foyet had known what he was doing; the clasp for both the collar and chain were fastened at the back of the boy's neck and would be difficult to undo. He also suspected that it had been down her a while, so the clasp may be rusted.

Resigned, the boy folded his hands under his chin and once again glanced around the room for a single speck of light, but again found none.

It was so dark and empty. And cold, he realized as he shivered despite the blanket that covered his frame, drawing his knees up to his chest.

He remembered as a small child, when he'd been awoken by nightmares, he would always go to his mother. She had read him stories and poems from her collection of 15th century literature, and sometimes he'd read the same poems and stories over after she'd taken her medication, and he'd fall asleep next to her, the book still open….

He wanted that so badly. He wanted to be with his mother, safe and warm, loved by a familiar pair of arms. He wanted to wake up in her bed again, one of her books lying next to his hand, the worn, yellowed pages still opened to whatever page it had been opened to when he fell asleep.

JJ's place had also been warm, he realized. Even though he had only started living there, they had grown to be a family. He and Henry had become close; the little boy had already looked up to him like an older brother. And JJ, though not his real mother, had been comforting to him, had welcomed him into her home. More than anything, he wanted to be back in that house, eating spaghetti like he had that night so long ago, when Garcia and Kevin had come over.

And Derek…. Derek had become his older brother, his best friend. He wanted to be with Derek again, walking home from school, eating dinner with Gideon, Penelope, Kevin, Henry and JJ. He wished that he and Derek had stayed after, or that JJ or Gideon had picked them up from school; anything that could have prevented this outcome here, he wished had happened all those days ago.

He whimpered, burying his head into the pillow his captor had provided.

"Mommy," Spencer moaned. "JJ… D-Derek…" He gripped the pillow tighter with his bound hands.

All he wanted was a familiar voice, someone who would take him away from the darkness. He wanted to go home. JJ's house in D.C, his old bedroom in Las Vegas, it didn't matter; anywhere that was far away from her that he could easily call home.

"I just wanna go home," he whimpered to the darkness, his last words before he slipped into a fitful, restless slumber.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

It was the third day since little Spencer Reid had been taken, and the BAU was working on little sleep and even less coffee, but they were determined to finish their job; one look at the evidence board, to the picture of the shaggy-haired boy with the shy smile was all it took for them to want to help him, even if they were as tired as they were.

Hotch, Rossi, Cooper and Gina were in the conference room with JJ and Gideon, who was watching an agitated Derek pace the length of the room. Garcia came in with Henry and placed him in his mother's arms. Someone wants his… Mommy," she said hurriedly.

"No Mamma," Henry babbled. "I wan' Spenner, Auntie Pen!"

JJ hugged her son. "I know, Sweetie," she whispered. "We're looking for him."

"Is Spenner lost?" Henry asked, putting his thumb in his mouth.

"Something like that," JJ replied. "But we'll find him."

"Will he be in trwouble?" Henry whispered. "Like when I went to da park with Auntie Pen an' Unca Kev and went into da woods withou' tellin' tem, and you were so worried and it was befo' Spenner came, but afta Daddy went to live with Jesus an' da angels?"

JJ shook her head. "No, baby," she comforted. "Spencer's not in trouble; when you got lost, it was an accident, and I wasn't angry, but scared. Spencer is lost because some very bad men came and made Spencer disappear."

"Will we find him?" Henry asked. "Can I help?"

Before JJ could answer, the sound of heels running on tile could be heard echoing into the conference room.

"Guys," Prentiss gasped as she ran into the conference room. "Garcia got a hit on that BOLO; someone claims that they say the panel van used in the kidnapping over at the West Bend Housing Development."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

The panel van was sitting outside an abandoned house in the West Bend neighborhood, the farthest one from the main part of the neighborhood. As soon as the Agents left the car, a member of the SWAT team ran to Rossi.

"No sign of Foyet, but the heat detector found a heat source in the basement. We think it's the missing boy, but we can't be too sure."

A second SWAT team member followed. "It's the kid; it looks like he's restrained."

"If Foyet felt that Spencer was secured, he would believe that he couldn't get away. He would believe that he could leave this place without worrying that his captive would get away."

Prentiss nodded, strapping her vest on. "He doesn't want his _prize _to disappear," she spat the word 'prize' like it was a swear word. "A little boy…."

"I know," Rossi whispered. "And we'll make sure that he gets the help he needs."

Hotch, Gina and Cooper arrived seconds later, vests strapped to their bodies. Rossi sighed; he was in charge now.

"Alright," he said. "Hotch, I want you here in the street, watching in case Foyet comes back. Cooper and Gina will check the main part of the house. Prentiss and I will take the basement."

They nodded and made their way to the front door, Prentiss forcing it open, gun raised. Gina and Rossi right behind her, with Cooper bringing up the rear. The four of them split up, with Gina sweeping to kitchen and living room, leaving Cooper to take the bedrooms. Rossi led the way to a slightly ajar door, which opened to reveal stairs to the basement. Quietly, the two agents crept down the stairs, and Rossi pointed Prentiss to the left while he took the right.

Emily aimed her gun into each room, calling "Clear" with each empty room, until she reached an open area where a doorway to a former laundry room loomed. As she swept toward the room, she heard a soft whimper, and a voice whisper, "Please don't hurt me."

Inside the room was a mattress, a pile of clothes and a small figure with a dog collar on his neck. The figure was dressed in a sweater and white shirt, with jeans and dirty black Converse. There was duct tape on his wrists and the collar on his neck was attached to a chain that led to a lock attached to a pipe against the wall.

"Please don't hurt me," the boy repeated from where he lay on the mattress, watching Prentiss as she walked into the room.

"I'm not gonna hurt you, okay?" she whispered.

The boy nodded, but he still looked warily at the gun in her hands; Prentiss mentally berated herself as she saw this, remembering that Foyet would have had a weapon he had used to threaten the child.

Prentiss lowered her weapon as she approached the mattress. The little boy's lower lip was sticking out and his wide brown eyes were oceans filled with tears.

"Are you Spencer?" Emily asked, and saw him nod. "Hey Spencer… I'm Emily… these Agents and I have been looking for you; we're gonna bring you back home, okay? With JJ; you remember JJ, right?"

Another nod.

"You're a very smart boy," Emily whispered as she moved closer; when she reached the mattress she gingerly sat next to the little boy, who immediately crawled into her lap. Emily's heart broke when she saw the tension of the chain as he did so; that was about as far as he could go. Emily inspected the collar as Rossi walked into the room, lowering his gun to find Prentiss and the lost boy.

"I just want to go home," he whispered into her vest.

Emily wrapped her arms around his skinny shoulders, rocking him gently and patting his back gently. "I'll make sure you're home safe and sound really soon," she promised softly into his shaggy brown hair, unkempt and greasy from his days of captivity.

"The chain's rusted to the collar," she added in a whisper to Rossi as she continued rubbing circles on the child's shoulders. "We may need to cut the chain." She turned her attention back to the terrified child in her arms. "He's shaking like a twig; he's definitely dehydrated and hungry. I think he might be going into shock; Rossi, can you please get that blanket for me?"

Before the words were out of her mouth, Rossi had taken the blanket and wrapped it around the trembling boy while calling in for a bolt cutter. During that time, Spencer fell asleep in Emily's lap, his head resting against her shoulder and his body curled up in her lap. When he hung up, Rossi produced a pocket knife and carefully sliced the duct tape from Spencer's wrists so as not to disturb him and then wrapped his arms around Emily's shoulders.

The bolt cutters arrived shortly after, and the man who brought the tool set to work as he cut off most of the chain, enough to not be too long, but far enough away so as not to disturb the sleeping boy. As soon as the man was done and had left, Rossi and Emily followed him out, Emily cradling Spencer in a fireman's carry.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Garcia smiled as she put down the phone and turned to Gideon and JJ "They found Spencer at an abandoned house in West Bend; they're taking him to the St. Sebastian's Children's Trauma Ward. It looks like he's going to be alright."

At this, JJ burst into tears, relieved that the little boy, her little boy, was safe and coming home. Gideon wrapped his arms around his young neighbor and friend, cradling her head on his shoulder as she wept.

"Momma," Henry asked. "Why you crying?"

"Momma's happy," Gideon replied.

"Why?

Gideon paused, thinking; how do you tell a little boy that his mother was crying because her adoptive son and CPS ward was located and coming home. "She just received some great news."

There was a pause.

"Is Spenner coming home?"

Gideon nodded. "Yes, Henry," he whispered. "They found Spencer, and he's finally coming home."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

The sun was setting by the time JJ, Gideon and the BAU were sitting in the hospital waiting room; standing before them was a doctor, the orange light hitting his coat.

"He was dehydrated, and his stomach was empty, but other than those things, a few bruised ribs, a twisted ankle, a sprained wrist, and some cuts and bruises, he's just fine. We're just keeping him overnight right now; toxicology reports indicated some trace amounts of Dilauded in his blood system, and we want to make sure that's out before we send him home. Plus, he's really tired; it would be best for him to spend the night here."

"Would it be alright for his mother to spend the night?" Rossi asked.

The doctor nodded. "When he wakes up he's going to need to see a familiar face; the trauma he's gone through isn't something a child like him will get over in one night; he may need therapy and counseling, and I can recommend some child psychologists that specialize in trauma when you check him out."

JJ nodded. "Thank you very much, Dr. Tennant," she whispered.

"I'll set you up in the room, Miss Jareau," he replied. "Spencer's in room 233."

Rossi stood up to confront JJ. "Hotch called me," he said. "Gina and Cooper found Foyet at a seedy club in DC. It appears that he got a ride from the neighbors when he hot-wired their minivan. They're letting him stew overnight in Interrogation."

"I'm grateful for what you've done," JJ whispered. "I… I don't know what I would have done if we hadn't found Spencer today."

"I shudder to think what would have happened to that poor boy if we hadn't found him," Rossi replied. "Are you okay with me stopping by tomorrow?"

JJ nodded. "I could use the help getting Spencer settled back in the house when we check him out."

"I'll bring Derek with me, too," Gideon added. "Also, Garcia called: she said that she's buying out the hospital gift store tomorrow; only the best for her little genius."

JJ smiled, bade the others good-night and made her way down the hall to room 233; inside, Spencer lay asleep on his back at a 45 degree angle in hospital pajamas, his hair still damp from the sponge bath the nurses had subjected him to. His head was resting to the side, his mouth slightly open; one hand was stretched to the edge of the bed to accommodate the IV in his arm and the other was curled up against his stomach.

The room was a regular hospital room, with the bed, medical equipment, bathroom, chair and couch; the only difference was that the room was decorated to look like an undersea paradise, complete with ocean wildlife and coral reefs painted on the walls.

JJ sat in the couch pulled up against the window, running her fingers through the wet hair on the boy's head; he stirred sleepily at the touch, but didn't wake.

JJ sighed, a small smile sweeping across her face. She laid her head on the couch arm, watching Spencer as her eyelids slowly drooped down to cover her eyes….

….

_A/N: Aren't you glad that's up now? But don't worry; there's lots more planned. Why do you think I kept Foyet alive?_

_Also, I have to write a CCOAC challenge story by Halloween, so I'm hoping this sudden burst of creative juices will stick around for that._

_And lots of reviewers last chapter! Thank you! :D_

_Thanks to my wonderful and VERY patient reviewers nympha fluminis, pipinheart, lovesreidforever, Lizard Lover, Shi-Toyu, Goddess-of-Genius, CMSP, PartyInTheBackBusinessUpFront, MegalegU, fireball1012, LenniluvsBrian, LadySarah14, United Profilers, slery, Anon, Bleach-ed Na-tsu, Jayde Rayne, Anon, Unknown II, caramellove, Anon II, Unknown III, Acacia Jules, and Huffleclawmage! I love you guys! **hugs**  
_

_To all my anonymous reviewers: Thank you for being so persistent; this is why I wish FF would allow multiple reviews on the same chapter! Thank you all! :D  
LenniluvsBrian: That's awesome! I will let you know when you can get him with those sticks (Actually, the next chapter would be a good time….). ;D_

_Please review; I know you might be angry, but I have outside constraints and deadlines with school and other things. If I could I'd be updating a chapter a day for some of these stories because I love you all, and you deserve better than for me to disappear from posting; I barely have time to leave reviews anymore!_

_Speaking of reviews, I may have to implement a flaming policy. Nothing to do with you all but it would be a good idea...  
_

_Done ranting!_

_Love,_

_*~N_CBAU~*_


	14. Carry You Home

**_How about those last few episodes? Pretty crazy stuff: Tornadoes and drowning and the Afterlife... YIKES!_**

**_And I'm reading "Inheritance" and "Foundation" now; both are shaping up to be great books! I can't wait to see where Eragon and Saphira go next and I love the characters Asimov has come up with!_**

**_Finally, I don't own Criminal Minds or "The Seal Lullaby" by Rudyard Kipling. However, I do happen to have links on my profile to YouTube videos of songs with the poem's text as lyrics. (For some reason, they don't light up, so just copy and past into a new window)  
_**

...

_As strong as you were, tender you go./ I'm watching you breathing for the last time./ A song for your heart, but when it is quiet,/ I know what it means and I'll carry you home./ I'll carry you home. ~James Blunt, "Carry You Home"_

Light.

When was the last time he saw light?

It was glowing, bright and comforting, like his mother when she would recite poems and tell him stories, a time so long ago he had almost forgotten it.

When was the last time he felt comfortable, warm and safe? When had he last felt safe?

Certainly not for a while, that was for sure. He had almost forgotten what 'safe' felt like; if this feeling, this warm, comforting feeling that enveloped and held him was what safe felt like, he wanted to stay in this feeling forever.

And her remembered everything: he remembered the van, the drugs, the dog crate and the abuse. He remembered Tobias dying, the smell of the blanket, the feeling of being helpless, and at the mercy of Foyet. He remembered the basement, and how dark it was. He remembered the dark-haired woman, Emily, from the basement, her arms wrapped around his body, rubbing his back and comforting him. Had he fallen asleep? He must have. But….

_Spencer remembered waking up in the ambulance, Emily the dark-haired FBI agent holding his hand while the medics worked on him._

"_Hey, Buddy," one of them said. "We were hoping you'd sleep until we reached the hospital, but welcome back!"_

_Spencer nodded, watching while one of them prepped some medical equipment; it looked like he was preparing a needle…._

"_Hey Spencer," she asked suddenly. "What Poe poem do you prefer, The Raven or Annabel Lee?"_

_Spencer turned to look at her. "It all depends on taste, I guess, but I really like his poem Annabel Lee, probably even bett—OW!" He cried, turning to look at the medic with the needle, who was now hanging a bag full of nutrients on a metal hook above Spencer's bed. _

_Spencer settled back onto the gurney, gripping Emily's hand; he was getting tired again, his eyes couldn't stay open. "You won't leave, right?" he asked. "You won't go away, right?"_

_Emily squeezed his hand. "I promise," she said._

_Spencer blinked and the ambulance became a swirl of colors and shapes. Another blink and those colors and shapes faded. Before Spencer could blink again, however, the ambulance went dark._

He hoped it was real, that it wasn't a dream.

Spencer opened his eyes.

The sea blue walls of the room were painted with a mural of various sea life forms; sharks and octopi mingled with sea turtles, sting rays, dolphins and other fish. Around the room were vases full of flowers, baskets of toys and bags full of candy. On the edge of the retractable tray were a large pile of books. There was also a chair and couch in the room; Emily Prentiss was on the chair, sleeping. And lying asleep in the couch next to his bed was….

"JJ?" he whispered.

The blonde startled awake at the sound of her name, and upon seeing that he was awake, leapt to her feet and approached the bed, kneeling next to him as he stared at her.

"Hey Spence," she whispered, tears starting to sparkle as she took in his appearance. That was all she could say before she took him gingerly in her arms, kissing his head gently and running her fingers through his hair.

In response, Spencer wrapped his arms around her neck, pressing himself against her chest. "It's so good to see you," he whispered into her shirt, his eyes closed.

JJ kissed the top of his head, rubbing his back. "I know," she comforted. "I was so worried about you, and I'm so glad you're alright."

A moment later, she felt the child's shoulders shudder beneath her embrace. "I was so scared," Spencer whispered, his voice choked with tears. "I was s-so s-s-scared; I d-didn't t-think I w-was going t-to g-g-go h-home."

"You go ahead and cry, okay Spencer?" she whispered, and the little boy nodded into her shirt; she could see tears falling from his eyes in streams, his shoulders shaking and his breaths coming in quickened gasps. In response, she held him tighter, hands rubbing the small back. Her voice was calm as she began softly reciting:

"_Oh! Hush thee, my baby, the night is behind us,__**  
**__ And black are the waters that sparkled so green.__**  
**__The moon, o'er the combers, looks downward to find us,__**  
**__ At rest in the hollows that rustle between._

_Where billow meets billow, then soft be thy pillow,__**  
**__ Oh weary wee flipperling, curl at thy ease!__**  
**__The storm shall not wake thee, nor shark overtake thee,__**  
**__ Asleep in the arms of the slow swinging seas!"_

Slowly, Spencer's shuddering stopped and his breathing calmed. His hands fisted into JJ's shirt and she rocked him, listening to him breathe.

"Are you okay?" she asked, and he nodded, burying his face back into his shirt.

A moment later, they were broken apart by the sound of the blue curtain at the door to the room being opened by Henry, Gideon and Derek, who half ran, half walked to Spencer's bed, his eyes taking in his friend's appearance. At this point, Emily had awakened and she trudged out, saying something to JJ about getting some coffee.

"Derek," Spencer whispered, smiling as he spoke.

"Spencer," the older boy gasped, crouching so that he was at Spencer's level. "How are you?"

"I've been better," he said, shifting in bed.

Derek's smile waned, and he took Spencer's uninjured hand, wary of the IV.

"I am so, so sorry for what happened that day," the older boy began. "I should've fought back, I should've yelled, I should've grabbed you and ran for JJ's house."

"It wasn't your fault," Spencer replied. "And JJ's house was 2.5 miles from where we were, which was a little over halfway home from school; carrying me, and running at your usual running speed, we still wouldn't have reached the duplex before… before I would've been taken."

Derek wrapped one arm around the younger boy's shoulders, pulling Spencer into his chest and resting his chin in his brown hair. "Welcome home, Kid," Derek said, his voice thick with emotion.

'Home', Spencer thought.

He was home.

….

_A/N: ...And that's it! Well, for the chapter, not the actual story; there's still plenty more to come! Sorry if it feels short!  
_

_The poem is, again, "The Seal Lullaby" by Rudyard Kipling. Musical arrangement composed by Eric Whitacre. My women's choir in college is singing a version of it!  
_

_Thanks to my reviewers MegalegU, lovesreidforever, Ginshi-chan, Goddess-of-Genius, LenniluvsBrian, missnealcaffrey16, Unknown, Naru-Chan3000, jayswing96, pipinheart, fireball1012, JaydeRayne, United Profilers and Arbaon  
_

_Unknown: I'll try harder, but I can't make any promises because my life is very unpredictable; sadly, homework usually comes first in this situation. :(  
Ginshi-chan: Thanks for reviewing, and I'm glad you like this idea! I've seen a few more stories like this around the site, so I'm sure you'll see them! :D  
LenniluvsBrian: You have every right to be afraid; from the way the next chapter goes, as with the ones after, it will be quite terrifying! ;)  
_

_I also have the next chapter already done, so I'll post it sometime this week or something fun like that! :D_

_Please review! Allons-y! :D_

_*~N_CBAU~*_


	15. Imaginary

**_Oh my gosh, this last episode... I feel so bad for Garcia! (Slight spoilers) Monica was her friend, and knowing that your friend is in trouble and trying to help her in any way you can, even if it means going into the UnSub's house, an UnSub who is also a friend from her group and trying to talk him away from her friend... Poor, poor Garcia... Also, with this episode and everything she experiences, I really wouldn't be surprised if some of the events around team members during cases that really affected Garcia came up at that meeting (Prentiss' death, Reid in peril moments, etc)_**

**_And guess what... IT'S SNOWING IN MINNESOTA! **squeals**_**

**_Anyway... I don't own Criminal Minds. It would be pretty cool if I did, though; I'd have Reid wearing a bowtie and when Garcia called him, she'd say something like 'Hello, Sweetie!'_**

….

_In my field of paper flowers/ And candy clouds of lullaby/ I lie inside myself for hours/ And watch my purple sky fly over me/ Don't say I'm out of touch/ With this rampant chaos - your reality/ I know well what lies beyond my sleeping refuge/ The nightmare I built my own world to escape ~ Evanescence "Imaginary"_

Hotch glared down Foyet from behind the mirror into the interrogation room; the man was refusing to cooperate.

Usually the lawyer/ consultant could keep a clear head with these sorts of things, but today, all he could thing of were the words that Foyet had gleefully relayed to him just a few minutes ago while Hotch had him confessing every single little detail.

To many people, it wouldn't matter what George Foyet said here today; the man was already going away for murder, kidnapping, false imprisonment of a minor, robbery, arson... And that was here in DC.

For Hotch, however, the things the convicted man before him had said would haunt him for many nights to come.

"_How many people have you killed?" Hotch roared. "Hundreds? Thousands? We know about the 36 in Boston ten years ago, the 13 in Boston six months ago, Will LaMontagine…."_

"_You're wife?" Foyet growled._

_Hotch looked taken aback. "What?"_

"_You're wife, Hailey," Foyet shot back. "They said it was a drunk driver, but it was actually me. I forced her car into the river from off that bridge. I slashed her tires and buckled her hood. I would've killed her with my preferred weapon, but she was already dead when I got to her."_

"_What about Spencer?"_

"_Tobias came to me, wanting some help," Foyet recited, his tone icy. "He wanted the boy, and I talked prices with him. We decided on $10,000 upon hire, $10,000 when we get the boy and Tobias is heading to Vegas."_

"_But…."_

"_Druggie didn't have the damn money," Foyet spat. "When he told me that, I said I wanted the kid as payment. Toby said no, and I stabbed him."_

"_In front of a terrified ten-year-old boy?" _

"_In five years, I knew he wouldn't blink twice at one person killing another person," Foyet finished, making a mocking bow with his head._

_Hotch slammed the case file shut. "We're done here," he spat, rising up to open the door. That was when Foyet laughed._

"_That's what you think, but go right ahead, Agent Hotchner," Foyet purred as the other man exited. "I'm gonna be more famous than you could ever imagine."  
_

Rossi glared at the figure behind the glass as he slipped into the room. "Has he talked yet?"

Hotch nodded. "….He killed Hailey, Dave," he whispered. "I always assumed that it was a drunk driver. Her tires had been destroyed by the impact, the hood was buckled from the other car, and…. The damage to her… body… was consistent, but I never guessed…."

Rossi sighed, patting Hotch gently on the shoulder. "But we got him," Rossi replied. "He's not going to hurt another person ever again." With that, Rossi lifted his hand from Hotch's shoulder and made his way to the door of the observation room; beyong the glass, Foyet was being led out by two burly looking officers with sullen faces and brown Correctional shirts.

"Where're you going?"

Rossi chuckled at Hotch's question. "A very dear friend of mine recently had her adoptive son admitted into the hospital, and I promised her that I would stop by when they were getting checked out."

A rare smile graced Hotch's lips. "I'll come with you," he said.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

George Foyet couldn't believe how simple it had been to get here; just that morning he had been lying in an abandoned bed, and now, he was being led in handcuffs to a waiting van that would take him from the holding cell here in the Police Station to some other place….

It was time, he decided, for the moment of truth."

Foyet started coughing, doubling up into his body and making his frame wrack with coughs that sounded much like the sounds made by his victims, the ones he had killed; they had always groaned, gasped and choked in that manner before death had silenced them forever.

He continued in this manner for some time, coughing, wheezing and dragging his feet as the guards attempted to move him.

"You okay?" one asked.

"Water," Foyet croaked.

"No," hissed the other guard. "He might try something."

Guard 1 glanced at Foyet, who was still coughing "I don't think so," he chortled turning away from their prisoner. "Besides, he's locked up-"

Foyet grabbed Guard 1, and kicked him twice in the stomach before letting him slump to the ground; he had a gash in the back of his neck from where the handcuff chain had dug into the man's skin.

Guard 2 roared as he ran toward Foyet, ready to tackle him; all it took for Foyet to subdue the guard was to grab the gun and pop two rounds into the man before he could blink. Finally, Foyet fished through Guard 1's pocket to grab his keys and unlock the handcuffs on Foyet's wrists. He then stepped out into the midday son, grinning as he made his way to the parking lot and Guard 2's car.

He had another chance, and he was going to take it.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Hotch and Rossi had arrived an hour ago, Rossi to check up on JJ and Spencer, Hotch to see to his adoption clients, and Emily, who was standing by the window, watching the reunions and nursing a cup of coffee. Derek and Spencer were sitting on Spencer's bed, a deck of cards between them as they played a game of gin. Henry was sleeping in his mother's lap, and JJ was holding him as she talked with Gideon.

"Sleep well?" Hotch asked.

Prentiss shrugged. "Not the most comfortable hospital chair," she muttered.

Rossi's phone rang and he excused himself to answer it.

Spencer looked up from his cards. "JJ," he asked. "Is it true that you're adopting me?"

JJ looked away from Gideon. "It is," she replied. "Aaron finalized it yesterday. You are officially my son." Henry stirred sleepily and JJ set him on the couch.

"That means he's staying, right?" Derek asked.

JJ nodded. "That is correct," she said.

"Gin," Spencer said, laying down his cards.

Derek reached across the bed and hugged the younger boy. "Don't ever go away again," he ordered.

"I won't," Spencer whispered into the other boy's shirt. "I promise."

And in that moment, there was a sort of peace that settled throughout the group that lasted until Rossi reappeared, looking grim.

"George Foyet escaped," he announced without preamble.

...

_A/N: ...Don't shoot the messenger! It was Moffat and Foyet! They threatened me; there were knives, guns, Silence and the Weeping Angels, respectively! _

_I was going to post this earlier, but my week got hectic and stressful; registration for next semester, a school computer wouldn't print something, and I missed 2/3 of a class as a result. Then I broke down sobbing in front of my violin professor... Not my best week, I can assure you._

_Also... I've broken 200 reviews! **party** Thank you to musicxxjunkie, MegalegU, Goddess-of-Genius, fireball1012, Me, United Profilers, pipinheart, Ginshi-chan, LenniluvsBrian, and JusticeIsBlind13! You are so amazing! **insert heart here**_

_Me: After readng your review, I am more than willing to bet you will love this chapter. Without a doubt, Foyet is back and ready for more action! ;)_  
_Ginshi-chan: Welcome to the fandom, and thank you for your kind words! I hope you enjoy this chapter :)_  
_LenniluvsBrian: Thanks for being my 200th reviewer! And here's an update for you; Spencer is safe, but Foyet is planning another strike very soon... :D_

_Don't forget to review, lovely people! ;D_

_*~N_CBAU~*_


	16. This Is War

**_I'm really sorry about the lateness of this chapter, but I'm approaching finals week, and I need to buckle down; this may be the last chapter I post for a while, but I won't abandon you guys._**

**_That said... Who saw the new episode the other night? Admittedly, I missed it because I was auditioning for Pirates of Penzance (Which I just found out that I'm a Ward... Which is a real shame because I wanted to be Pirate No. 4, but YAY! I made it!), but I caught it online. I knew I recognized the general (Odo from Deep Space 9)! And how about Strauss, eh? And I loved the little Reid/Garcia moments... And Rossi, Prentiss and the Poison Ivy, laugh-worthy there, haha! (I had to mention that!)_**

**_Anyway..._**

**_I don't own Criminal Minds; I'd be set for life in the money__ department if I did! All my bills paid, all my books books bought... I'd be living next door to Garrison Keillor! And Matthew! :D_**

...

_A warning to the people_. _The_ _good and the evil_./ _This is war_./ _To the soldier, the civilian. The martyr, the victim./_ _This is war_.~ _30 Seconds to Mars "This Is War"_

The good mood dissipated as quickly as it had come.

JJ scooped up Henry and moved toward the bed where Spencer had frozen, the little color in his face draining away; he leaned into her embrace as she wrapped her one free arm around his shoulders. Derek moved closer to JJ, Henry and Spencer, throwing his arm around his bedridden friend. "No one's getting to him," the boy vowed. "They'll have to get through me first."

"Derek…." JJ began softly.

"No!" Derek exclaimed. "I lost my father, I let James down and then I let Buford take advantage of me. When I was given the chance to start over, I took it. And I am so glad I did, because when I walked onto that plane, I got the best gift a person could ask for." As he spoke, Derek looked at Spencer, who was resting his head on Derek's shoulder, his eyes fighting to stay open; every time the younger of the two boys blinked, his eyelids became heavier. "The first time I saw Spencer, I knew that I had been given a gift: I knew that he would need a protector, and I swore to do that. I failed the first time, and as a result, I almost lost him. But I promise that I will not lose him now, I swear that I will not lose him today, tomorrow or any other day."

"Derek," Prentiss said. "Spencer will be fine; we will all make sure that he's protected. Even if we have to move him to a safe house when he gets out of here, I will personally see to it that he is safe and that Foyet never comes near him."

"He's my little brother," Derek cried. "I've never had a little brother before. But now that I have one, I need to do everything I can to protect him!"

"And no one's gonna stop you," Rossi added. "My only concern, Derek, is that Foyet will come after you. Even if you're in the wrong place at the wrong time a year from now, with Spencer sleeping in the other room, or if you're walking down the street on your way home from school next week, he will go through you to get to him. But that, Derek, is why I have my team: They can guard Spencer. They have the training and the tools, the credentials, and weapons. They can, and they will, keep Foyet from hurting Spencer. I promise."

Derek turned to look at Spencer and smiled slightly. The ten-year-old was fast asleep, his head resting on Derek's shoulder. As they watched, the boy sighed, shifting as he dug his head into Derek's shoulder and neck.

"I think someone's had a long, tiring day," a voice whispered. They turned to see a pretty redhead nurse standing at the door. "I wanted to check up on him, take his vitals before you wheel him out. Did he wake up?

JJ nodded and the nurse smiled.

"Great! I'll get the doctor; just page me when you're ready."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

That evening, Jason Gideon sat in the easy chair in JJ's living room, staring at a pile of blankets on the couch from over the book he was reading. Under those blankets, still asleep since that afternoon, was Spencer, his brown hair spilling across the pillow and his fingers holding a plush Simon the Chipmunk in a death grip. He was wrapped comfortingly in the blankets, his body cocooned in their warmth.

Gideon tensed for a second at the sound of floorboards creaking in the kitchen, but relaxed when Penelope appeared, holding two cups of hot cocoa.

"How is he?" she asked, setting one cup down in front of Gideon and settling herself into another chair nearby.

"Still sleeping," Gideon admitted. "And who wouldn't, after today? Everything he went through with Foyet, the fear that the son of a bitch might come back to finish Spencer off… I'd fall asleep and not wake up for the rest of the day if it were me."

Spencer sighed softly, curling into the depths of the blankets again. Gideon mused that if the chipmunk plushie was a real animal, it might be turning blue.

"Me, too," Garcia admitted. "I mean, he's only ten, and already he's had so much thrust onto his shoulders…. He deserves a night of peaceful sleep."

Gideon nodded "'To sleep,'" he quoted. "'Perchance to dream. Aye, there's the rub!'"

"'For in that sleep of death, what dreams may come, when we have shuffled off this mortal coil.'" Both adults turned to see Derek walking in from the kitchen. "William Shakespeare. I couldn't sleep."

Gideon slowly made his way to his feet, wincing at the sore joints that creaked and groaned as he got out of the chair. "I am way too old for sitting in one place," he admitted gently, staring at the boy asleep on the couch.

Garcia nodded. "Want me to watch him?" she asked.

Gideon gestured to the chair. "It's all yours," he said. "I know there's another guest room on this level, or at least in the basement; I'll spend the rest of the night in a bed, thank you very much."

Garcia settled in the chair and watched as Derek curled up in a brown Love-Sac that was probably meant for Henry; toys and books scattered off the large beanbag as Derek flopped into the massive beanbag, throwing out more as he tried to get comfortable.

"I meant what I said at the hospital," Derek said suddenly. "He's like a brother to me; he's the little brother I wish I had. And I'd do anything to keep him safe."

"I know, Derek," Garcia whispered. "I'd do anything for the two of you. Now close your eyes; I'll keep an eye on Spencer."

Derek didn't object as his eyelids fluttered closed.

...

_A/N: **eyes pitchforks** It appears that I have a lot of explaining to do..._

_This will be a first for me; I've never had a WIP go for longer than a year. I started this piece in January of 2011 if I remember correctly, intending to finish it this summer. Obviously not, as you can tell. Now I'm just hoping I can get everything together in time for finals._

_Speaking of finals, I want to remind you all that it's finals season for me, which means that I will have very little free time to update between now and the 20th, unless I finish everything this week (highly unlikely). My policy is that school comes first; if I don't do well in school, I may have to be supervised, and I don't like it when my mother is looking over my shoulder when I'm writing. I'm sure you guys don't/didn't either._

_Anyway, I want to thank BrokenSky49, MadamShinigami, pipinheart, MegalegU, Ginshi-chan, Madi. Daughter. Of. Athena94, fireball1012, LenniluvsBrian, GoddessofGenius, United Profilers, Nympha Fluminis, thatsatoadnotafrog and JusticeIsBlind13 for their awesome reviews! I love you guys! :D_

_Ginshi-chan: I'm glad I made your day; updating that last chapter was an unexpected surprise for me, too. I just realized that I had time, so I went and did it! ;)  
thatsatoadnotafrog: Thank you, I'm glad you're so excited! I can't wait to hear more from you; welcome to the story! :D_

_Please review, my lovely readers; I'll be making a list, and checkin' it twice!_

_And if I don't update before then... Merry Christmas! :D_

_*~N_CBAU~*_


	17. Whisper

**_Whoa! I haven't updated in a year! (Kidding! I know, bad joke)_**

**_Who saw Matthew on Craig Ferguson last week? I loved it; he was so cute and sweet (I felt terrible about his zipper), and I loved his thing with the cash prize! Cutie! :D_**

**_I'm taking a class this January, but here's the thing: All we're doing in this class is working out in the weight room and cardio areas of the fitness center. No notes, no textbook, and no reading! There's two tests, but as long as we pay attention to what the professor says, it's good! Also, the last day of class is the day before my ACTC course, so no overlap._**

**_I have all the chapters planned out now, making this story about 19 chapters for sure, maybe 20 (21 if something needs more story)._**

**_And I don't own Criminal Minds! I have season 5 on DVD, a few season 4 and 6 episodes on iTunes, a t-shirt with the cast and a recently delivered Gubler-Flu t-shirt. That's it, unless somethings changes between now and my 21st birthday._**

….

_Don't turn away/ (Don't give in to the pain)/ Don't try to hide/ (Though they're screaming your name)/ Don't close your eyes/ (God knows what lies behind them)/Don't turn out the light/ (Never sleep never die) ~ Evanescence "Whisper"_

It had been a week and a half since Foyet had escaped. During that time, Derek had been keeping an eye on Spencer; he almost never left the house except for school. Mandy and Adam Jackson stopped by the house with Spencer's homework and would chat with the younger boy as he continued to progressively heal.

All around the exterior of the duplex, unmarked police and Federal vehicles were stationed, keeping watch in case Foyet decided to return for another go at Spencer. But when nothing happened for a week, the police presence was decreased to one unmarked FBI sedan around the corner in the evening with an unmarked DC Metro car in the same place during the day.

By the end of the second week, Mandy and Adam had invited Derek and Spencer out to a movie in honor of Derek's sixteenth birthday. They were going to invite Mick and Prophet but both boys were out of town; Mick was in England with family and Prophet was vacationing in Florida. And then the morning of the outing, Spencer came down with a fever, something that had been caught the one time Mick had visited early in the second week before leaving for London.

"Shouldn't even have let him in the door," Garcia had cried as she set a cup of chicken noodle soup on a TV table in front of a blanket-covered Spencer. His eyes were half-closed as his head rested on the pillow as he stared at the TV. The television was on and playing an episode of Doctor Who. "Sweetie, I have lunch for you. I need to run back to the office before Kevin destroys my system. JJ should be back soon, but Gideon is upstairs."

When JJ took his temperature and saw it was 103.7, she had told him he was staying on that couch all day long. Derek had come to visit and Spencer had given him the gist Derek was supposed to get at the movie that night: a white rabbit's foot and _The Great Gatsby _by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Derek had thanked his friend and told him to get well and rest up so they could plan their own outing to the Mall.

"Where's Derek?" Spencer whispered.

Garcia looked up at the ceiling. "I think he's getting ready for his movie with the Jacksons, something which he wishes you were going to. He told me so himself, and that he wished he could stay here instead."

Spencer shrugged. "I don't want to ruin their afternoon," he muttered thickly. "Besides, this thing is clearly contagious and I don't want him catching it. The same goes for Mandy and Adam."

Garcia sighed and patted his shoulder. "My sweet little wizard," she grinned as she turned toward the TV screen. "Or Time Lord if you prefer."

Spencer smiled. "I don't mind either way."

Garcia smiled at the ill child on the couch. "You rest up and save the universe with the Ponds, I'll see Derek off and JJ should be home soon, okay Sweet Pea?"

Spencer nodded, waving slightly as Garcia blew him a kiss before leaving the room. He managed to sit up and finish some of the soup before he collapsed back onto the couch and closed his eyes.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

The house was silent when Spencer opened his eyes again. Another program was on TV at the moment and Spencer grabbed for the remote to turn it off. As soon as the screen went dark however, he heard a creak coming from the kitchen. He rubbed his eyes.

"JJ?" he called sleepily. "Mr. Gideon? Jason?" There was no answer.

"Derek is that you?" He asked. Again there was no answer except for the floor creaking again.

Spencer stared up at the ceiling again. "Mr. Gideon?" he called.

"Guess again, kid," a familiar voice whispered from behind. Spencer cried out as a pair of hands grasped his shoulders. Shaking, he looked up into the eyes of George Foyet, who grinned at the look of horror on the boy's face.

"Aren't you glad to see me?" Foyet growled, ruffling the boy's hair and laughing as he ducked his head. Spencer shook his head, bottom lip sticking out and trembling. "No? That's too bad. I thought you'd be glad to have a visitor while you were out of it."

"But- Jason and JJ," Spencer whispered. "The cops…."

Foyet grinned producing his knife. "DC's finest met my friend Mac the Knife a couple minutes before our reunion. Meanwhile, your guardian and your friend's CPS agent are off responding to a call on the other side of the neighborhood. Little old lady calling for help because there was a prowler outside her house, and strangely enough, all the guy took was her car."

Spencer fought to keep the tears from his eyes as Foyet draped his knife-free hand across the boy's shoulders; he shuddered at the older man's touch.

"Don't be like that," Foyet whispered. "I'll take good care of you. Now move it!"

Spencer shook his head, whimpering as Foyet pursed his lips and dragged the blankets from around the boy.

"No, please, just leave me alone," Spencer sobbed as Foyet seized him and tossed him over his shoulder, knocking over Spencer's TV tray and empty soup cup to the ground. "Put me down! I don't want to go with you!"

"Stop crying!" the man hissed, pressing the child's head into the fabric of his shirt as he kicked the front door open. "You're making a scene." Spencer's tears just grew louder. Foyet said nothing until he reached his new car, a silver Buick. He opened the back passenger door and placed Spencer on the edge of the seat.

"Now listen up," Foyet spat. "Stop crying. I want you to stop crying right now. If I hear one more peep out of your mouth… Well, I know exactly where your little friend Derek is, and it won't be too much trouble to pay him a little visit, either here later tonight, or at the mall sometime today. You got that, Squirt?"

Spencer sniffled, wiping away tears as he nodded.

"Good boy," Foyet cheered, locking the child lock on the side of the door before slamming the door shut and locking the door. Seconds later, he clambered in and started the engine.

In the back seat, Spencer huddled into the seat, silent tears running down his face. He wanted JJ or Jason to com running around the corner, or for the FBI agents Emily and Dave to run out in front of the car and stop Foyet like they had before. He wanted to be with Derek at the Cinema in the Mall.

He coughed, closing his eyes as he rested his head against the car window and his tears smeared against the glass.

...

_A/N: I can explain! You'll get more story really soon: Angry/Sad Derek, Tense Rossi, Badass Hotch... The works! Even Spencer's mom appears!_

_But first... how was everyone's holiday? My mom got me an iPod docking station... And has created a monster! I also received two pairs of fleece pajamas, four pairs of slipper socks, a pair of slippers, Deathly Hallows Part 2 and $45 worth of Barnes and Noble Gift Cards!_

_And has anyone seen Soko's new music video with Matthew and the rabbit? Talk about cuteness overload! Cute Times Infinity! :D_

_Thanks to my awesome reviewers Doctor's Other Companion, fireball1012, JusticeIsBlind13, Ginshi-chan, lovesreidforever, pipinheart, MegalegU, United Profilers, TheMostWonderfulTimeOfTheYear, bookworm51485, LenniluvsBrian, lulubi, MarianitaCullen (My first Internateral reviewer), michi1207, and Goddess-of-Genius!_

_Ginshi-chan: I'm glad you feel that way; I love hearing what my readers think and then improving. And my finals went well, thanks! :D  
LenniluvsBrian: I saw the movie over Christmas break; it was so funny and cute! Derek returns next chapter and you'll see how he feels about this... ;)  
lulubi: Nope, this fic is a stand alone AU story. I'm not planning a sequel or companion stories; this is all for fun! :)_

_Please don't forget to review! Even if you jot down your New Years Resolutions, it's nice to know you're reading! :D_

_Love from,_

_*~N_CBAU~*_


	18. The Only One

**_I will admit that having Foyet kidnap Spencer again was a low blow, but I needed to do something about Mr. Reaper sooner or later (I could have just written a sequel, but I've stalled on his storyline in here long enough). Of course, in my original outline, Ian Doyle was gonna show up (Which probably would have been worse for Spencer and made this monster-fic longer for me). Not that I don't like long stories, but I have no idea how busy I'll be this semester. And I have more ideas that want out!_**

**_Who watched "True Genius?" That was wild! All my favorite parts of Reid came out to play: Reid the Awkward Genius; Reid the BAMF; Reid the Thinker; Reid the Decoder; Reid the UnSub Whisperer and Reid with the Huge Smile! Rossi gets top points with me in this episode because of what he does in the last scene (Awwwww!) and Morgan... That has been a long time coming (We need more Big Brother Morgan/Little Brother Reid happening). And with the FBI Agents leaving him alone, the explanation will involve an old lady, reports of a prowler, and a stolen Buick. The cops outside the house were killed by Foyet._**

**_18 chapters down, three more to go (This one, next one and the epilogue). I can't believe how close to the end this is!_**

**_Also... Bonus points to whoever can guess what movie Derek, Adam and Mandy went to (Think David Tennant)!_**

**_Especially with everything that's going down with SOPA and PIPA and MegaUpload and stuff... I don't own Criminal Minds. I repeat, I don't own Criminal Minds. I just play with the characters!_**

...

_You know you're not the only one/ When they all come crashing down, midflight,/ You know you're not the only one./ When they're so alone they find a back door out of life./ You know you're not the only one. ~ Evanescence, "The Only One"_

"….Remind me to never watch vampire movies with you two," Mandy retorted as she walked toward the house with Adam and Derek, both of who were laughing about the movie that'd seen at the Mall.

"Chill out, Mand," Adam chuckled. "At least it was better than that sparkly vegan vampire crap Hollywood is feeding us now."

Derek nodded. "Although, I have to admit that the whole 'disintegrating into dust' thing seemed very much like the last Harry Potter movie."

Adam laughed and stuck his fist out, which Derek happily bumped.

"Hey Derek," Mandy asked suddenly. "What's with all the cop cars outside your house?"

Derek paused. "What?"

Mandy pointed at the duplex where Derek lived "There are two Federal SUVs outside your house, with three cop cars, the coroner's van and a CPS van…." Her face paled as she looked at Derek. "Did something happen?"

Derek's eyes took in the scene Mandy described. His blood froze, his stomach dropped to the pavement and his heart stopped instantly. He clenched his fists, cursing.

"SPENCER!" he screamed suddenly, dashing for the house. "SPENCER!"

He was met by Jason and JJ, the latter of which was crying into Gideon's shoulder while the older CPS agent tried to comfort her.

"Spencer!" Derek cried, racing toward JJ's part of the house.

"No, Derek!" Gideon cried, but Derek ignored them, racing into the house and through the kitchen into the living room to find the empty couch and upturned blankets that had long lost any human body heat they could have contained. The pillows still had head indentations; the TV table was lying on its side with a broken soup cup lying in the corner; last of all, Derek saw a Simon the Chipmunk plush toy that a crime tech was placing into a plastic evidence bag.

Derek recognized it as Spencer's plush toy.

"Derek…" JJ whispered.

"...I was supposed to protect him," Derek stated, his voice broken and small. "He trusted me to protect him, and I failed him."

There was no chance of stopping the angry tears that gathered at Derek's eyes.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

David Rossi stormed into the conference room, his face stoic but his eyes betraying his real emotions. He should not have let Gina and Cooper go on vacation.

"George Foyet kidnapped Spencer Reid from his home 20 minutes ago."

Garcia gasped, her eyes widening. "But… I just saw him today," she whispered. "He was on JJ's couch because he had a fever. I gave him chicken noodle soup and left him watching Doctor Who. JJ said she'd be home in a few minutes."

"JJ was asked to respond to a disturbance call on the other side of the neighborhood," Hotch relayed. "An elderly woman, Martha Williams, claimed that there was a prowler in her garden. Her seven-year-old grandson pointed him out and she called 9-1-1. When JJ, Gideon and the rest of the police arrived, the prowler was gone, but he'd taken Mrs. William's car with her."

Rossi looked at the report. "A 2005 silver Buick LeSabre," he muttered. "Nice car. But why take it?"

"The UnSub could have seen it as a luxury car," Prentiss reasoned. "Like Rossi said, it's a nice car, very expensive. The kind of car an elderly woman raised during the Baby Boom would be able to afford in her retirement."

Hotch was still buried in the report but nodded in agreement. "It's a car that would have some pretty good additions: Valet key, cigarette lighter, car alarm, heated seats and everything. And what car isn't safe for people like a car with a Child Safety Lock for the doors?"

Prentiss put it together. "Foyet was the prowler. He went around the house to scare the grandmother, and while she calls 9-1-1, he breaks into her car, starts it with the valet key and drives to JJ's house. It was only a matter of making sure the feverish child on the couch was sleeping before breaking into the house. And when Spencer calls out, no one answers."

"Except for the Big Bad Wolf," Rossi growled.

At that moment, Kevin ran into the room. "DC Metro reported seeing a Buick LeSabre with Martha William's plates leaving the city heading southeast. They're chasing it as we speak."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Spencer heard the sirens before he saw the police cars. Sunlight had given way to ran after he'd been taken and the streets of DC were paved with raindrops. On any other day, the sight would have been beautiful. Spencer glanced out the window and saw the cops chasing Foyet's car. Among the small cruisers, he noted with glee, were the black SUVs of the FBI agents.

Spencer knew they were coming for him. They would take out Foyet, arrest him and throw him in jail. And Spencer would go home with JJ and Henry. They would be a family.

"Damn it!" Foyet screamed, hitting the steering wheel repeatedly and jarring Spencer from his thoughts. Spencer winced as he repeated other choice words that Spencer had heard him scream before, words he remembered from his last captivity.

Spencer made to turn around and signal to the police, but Foyet turned and grabbed his leg. "Sit down!" he howled. "Sit down and put that damn safety belt on you little brat!"

Shaking, Spencer obeyed, clicking the belt into place. Foyet turned back to the road, muttering darkly before turning back to the road….

And he swore loudly, swerving to avoid the spike strip that had been laid out for the car. In the backseat, Spencer screamed as the car swerved, the two back tires hitting the strips and popping on impact.

The Buick, no longer able to travel, slid off the road and came to rest in a ditch, the hood slightly crumpled against an oak tree.

...

_A/N: Please don't kill me! The good news is that I have the next chapter finished, so you won't be on tenterhooks for very long. I'll post it sometime next week so you won't hurt me from this cliffhanger here! If you want to blame someone, blame whoever shut down MegaVideo; I can't watch Merlin and Sherlock whenever I want and I won't be able to rewatch Criminal Minds episodes the same day they come out._

_Thanks to my amazing and patient reviewers United Profilers, Nympha Fluminis, Doctor's Other Companion, LenniluvsBrian, lovesreidforever, Srienia, Ginshi-chan, fireball1012, Spencer Reid is epic, MegalegU, pipinheart, capricusp, Goddess-of-Genius and michi1207!_

_LenniluvsBrian: Sharpen away! You will be able to use them after Foyet's final showdown next chapter_  
_Ginshi-chan: Not a dream, but I really hated having to do that! Spence has gone through enough, now he's sick and kidnapped... Poor thing! :'( Thanks! :)_  
_Spencer Reid is epic: I know, right? And I'm glad you like the music; I actually used "The Only One," but thanks for offering the song!_

_Please review, and I'll post the next chapter soon (unless something happens in the next few days; Tumblr is freaking out about FF sites getting shut down)_

_But let's not think about that! Please review! :D_

_Love from,_

_*~N_CBAU~*_


	19. Time of Dying

_**Hey guys!**_

_**While you're reading this, could you do me a favor? I posted a crossover fic the other day, and there hasn't been much traffic for it... Could you check it out? You can leave a review if you want! It's a crossover between Criminal Minds and the BBC show Sherlock that takes place after "Lauren."**_

_**I'm just about done with the last chapter if anyone is interested in that. Plus, spring semester is about to start; I might try writing a sort of screenplay in the form of a Criminal Minds episode as the semester progresses.**_

_**And this most recent episode was awesome! Very big plot twist there at the end! I was not expecting the victim to go after the UnSub! And poor Emily... :'(**_

_**But on the bright side... If every man was like Sergio, I'd probably have a worthwile Valentine's Day! :D**_

_**Again, I don't own Criminal Minds! And I'll say it once more if it keeps me out of jail: I don't own Criminal Minds!**_

...

_On the ground I lay/ Motionless in pain/ I can see my life flashing before my eyes/ Did I fall asleep?/ Is this all a dream/ Wake me up, I'm living a nightmare. ~ Three Days Grace "My Time of Dying"_

The Buick, no longer able to travel, slid off the road and came to rest in a ditch, the front of it slightly crumpled against an oak tree.

Foyet let go of the wheel, gasping slightly. Spencer trembled in the backseat, staring out the window. He had already tried the door and knew it was locked. But safety was so close he could almost touch it.

"Unbuckle your seatbelt," Foyet snarled suddenly. When Spencer didn't move Foyet turned and undid the button himself with one hand while grabbing Spencer's leg with the other.

"Come up here," he growled and Spencer complied, quivering as Foyet procured a pair of handcuffs from his pocket, which he fastened to Spencer's hands. The he opened the door, drew his knife and pulled the boy's body closer to him as he stepped out of the car.

Spencer already felt sick earlier that day; he'd woken up that morning with a fever and a cough. Now, with his stomach churning and his throat tightening, he felt as though he was about to throw up. His head felt heavy and full of cotton and everything seemed to spin.

He just wanted to go home….

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

The moment Foyet stepped out of the car, they were ready. Hotch, Rossi and Emily weren't surprised by his use of Spencer as a human shield, but it just made them all the more determined to save him from this monster.

"Let him go, Foyet!" Rossi yelled.

Foyet pretended to look around at the police presence. "Let go of whom, Agent Rossi?"

"Leave Spencer alone; he has nothing to do with this," Hotch calmly intoned.

Foyet laugh. "Him?" he asked, shaking Spencer like a rag doll. "You kidding? This little boy blue here is my bread and butter. Tobias told me all about him: smartest kid of his age, unassuming, eager to learn. I can teach him things…."

"You won't get very far, George," Prentiss yelled. "We will find you!"

Foyet laughed. "What makes you say that?"

Hotch lowered the gun. "This morning, when Spencer woke up," he reasoned. "He had a fever of 103, was coughing, aching and felt sick to his stomach. He was lying on the couch with a bowl of soup watching Doctor Who and cuddling with a Simon the Chipmunk plush toy. This morning, despite the fact that he was sick, he felt safe. By breaking into his house you have taken that safety away from him and have probably delayed his recovery from his illness."

Foyet shrugged. "It's just a fever," he mocked. "He'll be better by tomorrow morning." His knife was then turned to Spencer, who shuddered and strained against the stolen handcuffs on his wrists. "Now, give us a car," Foyet hissed.

Suddenly, Spencer lurched and fell to his knees, retching and gagging with vomit freely flowing from his mouth. This continued for a few terse moments of silence, the only noise coming from the child at the killer's feet. After the boy's stomach was emptied he started sobbing, his body curling in on itself away from the pool of sick on the ground.

An officer moved to grab the kid, but Foyet produced a gun from his belt. "Nobody move or I'll kill the kid."

"You just said he's your bread and butter," Emily replied.

Foyet shrugged. "It won't stop me from killing him. Then you'll just shoot me. In short, I'll kill him unless you let me leave with him."

"You know that won't happen," Rossi replied.

"You shoot me, I kill the kid!" Foyet yelled back. "Either way, I still get him. You kill me, I get him; you let me go, I get him! Shut up!" he added to the quivering lump of miserable ten-year-old at his feet, kicking him as he spoke. A renewed wave of sobs broke through the rain.

"It doesn't have to end like this!" Prentiss cried.

"Then get me a damn car!" Foyet screamed, raising the gun above his head and then swinging it down toward Spencer's huddled form.

A single gunshot rang out and Foyet crumbled, falling to the ground. The gun slipped from his fingers and landed in the pool of watery vomit. Rossi turned to Hotch, who watched Foyet fall from behind his smoking gun. Prentiss moved forward, gun still aimed at the prone figure in front of her before holstering her weapon and kneeling down next to Spencer.

"Nice shot," Rossi proudly muttered.

"I wasn't going to let that bastard hurt that little boy again," Hotch replied. Rossi nodded before turning to see Emily carrying Spencer who was now wrapped in her FBI windbreaker and snuggled against her chest. His hazel eyes were red from crying and his pale cheeks were wet with tears and rain. Hotch holstered his gun as she approached, eyes scanning the child in her arms to make sure he was alright

"He's burning up and this rain isn't helping him," she whispered. "Is there an ambulance nearby?"

Rossi was waving over a group of medics before she finished her sentence. A male medic and a female medic approached the three profilers and their charge, the woman gesturing for Prentiss to give Spencer to her. But when Emily tried to let go, the boy gripped her sweater tighter, big eyes gazing up at her with a pleading expression.

Rossi chuckled. "I think someone likes you," he joked.

Hotch nodded. "He also knows that you will get him back to JJ. And the fact that you saved him twice is only helping."

Emily nodded and turned back to the medics. "I'm riding with him," she stated firmly.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Derek raced through the hospital halls with JJ, Henry and Gideon close behind him. It didn't take him long to find the room and he burst in to find Spencer curled up in his bed, watching the door for Derek and his family.

"Derek!" the ten-year-old cried, excited. The exclamation was followed by a bout of coughing. When it stopped Derek was already at the boy's bedside, pulling him into a hug.

"I am so sorry," he whispered. "I promised myself that I would protect you. You're my little brother and I was supposed to protect you. I promised! But when you needed me the most, I wasn't there. I'm sorry."

"It's okay, Derek," Spencer tiredly murmured. "It wasn't your fault. I forgive you."

JJ and Gideon arrived to see Derek and Spencer embracing. Derek was crying into Spencer's shoulder and Spencer was fast asleep, resting against Derek's shoulder like a pillow. The three of them placed Spencer back in his bed and Henry helped tuck his older brother into bed.

As they stood back, there was a soft knock at the door. They turned to see Emily standing in the doorway, smiling slightly.

"We're officially done with the case," she stated simply. "DC Metro is taking care of the paperwork. I just stopped by to give something to Spencer; it was just released from evidence and I knew that he'd want it."

He then stepped over to the bed and placed Spencer's Simon the Chipmunk plushie on the pillow next to the sleeping ten-year-old.

….

_A/N: There you have it! Spencer's safe, Foyet's dead and everything's right with the world (Sort of...)!_

_And next chapter is sort of a happy ending thing that packs the whole story together so you should be happy with that!_

_Thanks to my amazing reviewers Nympha Fluminis, BrokenSky49, anonimousssss, lovesreidforever, JusticIsBlind13, pipinheart, Sirenia, Spencer Reid is epic, MegalegU, Ginshi-chan, Goddess-of-Genius, missnealcaffrey19, fireball1012, slavetotheink, LenniluvsBrian and United Profilers! You guys. Are. Awesome! :D_

_anonimousssss: Hope you enjoy this next installment! :)  
__lovesreidforever: "True Genius" was brilliant, I agree! There was so much Reid! I really loved the last scene and I wish there were more like it in the series! :D_  
_Spencer Reid is epic: Thank you! I'm glad you liked it! Yes, and it's sad... I'm coping, but it isn't the same without it. And Spencer will be fine! ;)_  
_LenniluvsBrian: Feel free to use those sticks on Foyet. I'll even revive him for you! Have fun you two! ;D_

_Also, go to my profile and check out that crossover!_

_And please, please review! :D_

_Love,_

_*~N_CBAU~*_


	20. Epilogue: Beautiful Day

_**I have a lot of explaining to do, I know. It's a long story, so I'll give you the abridged version. So, here it goes:**_

_**Early in February, my laptop computer went a little nutty. The registry was corrupted by something that was downloaded into my system (Probably by something I downloaded while looking for adequate free anti-virus software). Anyway, my mouse stopped working. The cursor wouldn't move and my computer became an expensive desk decoration. So long story short, after talking to a friend, her dad and the IT guys at school, I gave it to my uncle who took it apart, put it back together, wiped it, re-installed all my programs and documents and things, added some of his own and basically made my baby good as new. In a few weeks, he's going to take it back, uninstall some of the things on it to free up my memory and make a backup disk for my stuff (I already have the USB 'My Passport' backup hard drive, but better to have more than one, right?) I just got it back last Sunday so and all's well that ends well!**_

_**So that's my story. At least I backed everything up, because I'd be so mad if I'd lost this last chapter. Just don't take my head off for waiting for so long. But this season... **__**It's a great season so far; I'm just sad about Paget leaving... And what's with not having renewed Joe's and Matthew's contracts yet? Get on it, CBS!**_

_**I don't own Criminal Minds. If I did, Daniel Radcliffe, Matt Smith, Karen Gillan, Martin Freeman and Benedict Cumberbatch would all guest-star! And Clyde Easter would come back, because Sebastian is brilliant!**  
_

….

_It's A Beautiful Day/Sky Falls, You Feel Like/It's A Beautiful Day/Don't Let It Get Away ~ U2 "Beautiful Day"_

JJ was rewarded with over half a million dollars for damages caused to her and her family by George Foyet shortly after the whole ordeal. She received the money a few days after Foyet's death in a shoot-out just outside D.C, thanks to a certain lawyer and profiling consultant friend.

A month after Spencer had been released from the hospital, JJ announced that she was selling the duplex she had bought when she'd married Will. Spencer could no longer walk into the living room without starting to tremble in the fear that Foyet would still be there. The memories of his ordeal, coupled with JJ's memories of Will's death by Foyet's hand had caused them to decide the duplex was no longer safe enough to be called "home." JJ would still rent out the building, but she would never live there again.

After the news broke, Gideon admitted that since Derek was returning to his mother's custody after the Buford trial, he would move back into his original apartment in downtown DC, which he had never sold. The day after Gideon announced his departure from the duplex, a letter arrived requesting the presence of "Mr. Derek Morgan and Mr. Jason Gideon" at the Chicago Courthouse in two weeks for the trial of Carl Buford.

Derek Morgan now sat in a Chicago courtroom with Jason Gideon, his mother and sisters. They had arrived yesterday afternoon, where a tearful reunion between Derek and his family had occurred outside the airport. They had caught up over dinner at one of Derek's favorite restaurants and Derek had spent the night in his own room. The next morning over breakfast, Fran Morgan had announced that she was moving her family to DC and that they would move into the duplex recently vacated by Gideon and JJ.

Derek had been the last witness to present. The prosecutor was a friend of Aaron Hotchner's, Wesley Montoya. Derek had met with Wesley that morning. He was a friendly blonde-haired young man with a vague hint of Latino descent and he treated Derek like an adult and didn't spare Derek any of the details.

"Now Derek," Wesley began. "The reason I have you going last in this trial is because I feel that your insight into this case will convince the jury that Carl Buford is a dangerous man. It is your testimony that I want the jurors to hear right before they go to debate the final verdict for Carl Buford's sentence. Now, all I want you to do is tell them exactly what you saw. If the defense tries to trip you up, don't sweat it. We'll be on the side that the witness box is stationed so if you feel worried, try to send me a signal. I'll do what I can to make it so the defense isn't in your face. Okay?"

Derek nodded.

After that, the trial seemed to rush by in a blur. The first day was the official indictment and the defense's testimony. Derek felt like he had lost count of all the people who had come to the stand claiming that Carl was an outstanding citizen and had gone above and beyond the call of duty to help get boys like Derek off the streets and into good colleges.

The next day had been the prosecution's turn and each of the boys Derek had known from the Center came forward and told the court what Carl had done. The defense, sensing that their case could get away from them, had tried to make the boys admit that Carl had done them a favor, but they had all admitted that Carl's help had come with a price.

Finally, Derek's turn came. With Wesley's coaching, Derek made it through the first half of his testimony. Then the defense had come forward.

The defense attorney was a gaunt, older man named Tom Riddle. Derek noted that he was dressed like an undertaker and had a fake red carnation in the top pocket of his double-breasted suit. He grilled Derek like he had the other boys, but Derek remained firm with his testimony, contradicting every statement that Riddle made.

Finally, Riddle threw his hands up in the air, defeated and stalked off. Buford glared at Derek as he walked back to his seat.

Now, they were all sitting in the courtroom, waiting for the final verdict on Carl Buford's trial.

Derek's eyes snapped up to see the jury re-enter the courtroom and file into their box.

"Has the jury reached a verdict?"

"We have, your Honor."

"And how do you find the defendant?"

Derek held his breath.

"….We find the defendant, Carl Buford, guilty of all charges."

Derek breathed a sigh of relief. It was over. Carl was going to jail and would never hurt Derek or another boy again. Foyet was dead and would never hurt Spencer again. His family would be whole again. He'd be off the streets of Chicago.

But the best part was that Derek would still be able to talk to Spencer every day.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Spencer stood in the waiting room of Bennington, his hand grasping JJ's tightly as he looked at the woman sitting at the window. The woman, who was engrossed in the page of the journal she was writing, cocked her head suddenly, as if sensing the gaze of the little boy from across the room. She looked up, her jaw dropping open as she realized who was there.

"….Spencer?" She asked.

"Mommy!" the child shrieked, letting go of JJ's hand and racing to the woman, who had just enough time to set the journal aside and stand up before taking the boy in her arms. The power of his hug brought the woman to her knees, but it was clear that she didn't care. Her eyes widened with the sight of Spencer, and she held him, almost afraid that he would vanish if she didn't hold him tight enough.

"Oh, baby!" she cooed, setting his head on her chest and rocking him gently, her hand combing his hair back until she could plant a kiss on his forehead.

"I missed you," he whispered.

She nodded, glancing up at JJ, who watched calmly from far away. "I did, too," she replied, his hand gripped in her grasp. "And you must tell me of your adventures!"

"I had quite the adventure," Spencer began. "After… Tobias… hurt Daddy, I traveled to meet JJ and on my way I met Derek."

"A comrade!" Diana whispered in awe.

Spencer nodded. "He was nice; he calls me his brother now. And we are kind of like brothers. But I went to school and I helped JJ take care of Henry. I met Penelope and Kevin and they were the most amazing people. I met others, too, like Mandy and Adam, and even Prophet and Mick."

Diana smiled. "It appears that you have been gifted with many companions, my son," she murmured. JJ began to venture over, listening as Spencer delivered to his mother the tales of his adventures and escapades.

Spencer continued, "My teachers at school are amazing; they were a big help when I first got to D.C. And then I was taken by George Foyet; he was very mean, as you would expect, but then I was rescued by Emily and David… Twice! And then JJ adopted me!"

"I would imagine that the rouge would be defeated for hurting you," she replied, looking back up at JJ. Diana's grip on her son's hand loosened. "And I can think of no one better to care for my son in my stead, Miss -"

"Jennifer Jareau," JJ introduced.

"Doctor Diana Reid," Diana replied.

Both women shook hands.

"But I can assure you, Mrs. Reid," JJ added. "We will come to visit as often as we can; I want Spencer to have his mother in his life."

"Diana," she corrected. "Call me Diana, Ms. Jareau."

"JJ," she replied. "You can call me JJ, Diana."

"Thank you for my son, JJ."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Spencer sat in the backseat, nose buried in the book in front of him. From the front seat, JJ watched as he flipped the pages in quick succession, his fingers trailing down the page as he read and stored every sentence into his memory.

After the events of the George Foyet case, JJ had moved from the tiny duplex in the quiet middle-class neighborhood to an older, larger house a few streets over in the heart of D.C. JJ had honestly been surprised that she could afford the house, but thanks to the current housing market, and some of the reward money from the Foyet case, she could pay off the mortgage and live there with her growing family.

She had also heard that Aaron Hotchner had recently accepted a raise in pay at the judicial office he worked at; when they had been driving back from the airport, JJ had seen the sign: Montgomery, Williams and Hotchner. She was pleased to find that they would be neighbors.

She opened the door to see Derek running out of her house, followed by a mid-sized yellow blur. As Spencer exited the vehicle, both Derek and the blur, which JJ realized was a new puppy, rand to greet him. She heard the two boys shouting happily and knew without a doubt that everything would be back to normal.

Henry toddled out, followed by Gideon, and JJ smiled, glad to be home.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

One moment, Spencer was getting out of the car and walking across the lawn. The next, he had been knocked over by a slobbering mass of overexcited dog and Derek's voice was shouting in his ear.

"It's over! My case went through and the guy who hurt me is going to jail for a really long time," Derek sounded pleased. "What about you?"

Spencer sat up, attempting to push the dog away, but only succeeding in having the friendly canine lay down on top of him, grinning slightly. "My mom's settling into her hospital. It looks like she's going to be there for the rest of her life." He paused, biting his lip. "She gave JJ her blessing to adopt me, even though it's already gone through. We're planning to visit at least twice a year, for Christmas and Easter, maybe sometime during the summer too. I also want to start writing to her."

Derek grinned ruffling his hair. "Good to know."

Spencer looked at the dog. "Anything else?"

Derek grinned. "My mom bought the duplex! I'm staying here in D.C."

"Really?" Spencer shouted, moving to stand up. The dog moved, sitting calmly next to Spencer and nosing the younger boy's hand. Spencer began to unconsciously stroke the dog's sleek head.

Derek nodded. "We're gonna be neighbors!"

Spencer threw his arms around Derek in an embrace and Derek hugged him back, grinning.

"So Spence," he casually intoned. "You lawyer friend and Gideon bought me this dog here and I have no idea what to name him. Any ideas?"

Spencer looked down and watched as the dog grinned up at him, tail wagging lazily. The dog looked up at Spencer and the boy swore he could see the dog's eye wink at him.

"Well," Spencer considered. "I saw this movie on the plane back about this talking fox…. What would you think if he was named 'Clooney?'"

"Clooney," Derek mused. "I like it. Hey, Clooney!" The dog looked up.

"He likes it!" Spencer said, grinning.

"Good boy, Clooney!" Derek praised as the dog wove between the two boys and dashed away. They laughed, chasing him toward the house.

Spencer paused to look at the scene before him: Derek and Clooney running around the flower beds while JJ, Gideon and Henry stood at the front door, watching him and Derek. Out of the house came Penelope, Kevin, Emily, David, and Hotch with his son Jack.

"Hey Spence!" Derek called. "My mom made dinner! We're eating in the backyard! Better come get it before there's nothing left!"

Spencer turned, grinning. A truly natural grin that hadn't been seen since this whole Foyet thing started. He was with people who loved him, safe and happy.

He was home.

….

_A/N: And... That's it! :'(_

_And if anyone is wondering, I made Clooney a Golden Retriever; they have wonderful dispositions, they're friendly, loyal, energetic, sporting, easy to train, and are great with children. Also, my Charlie was a Golden (My dog who passed away this past summer)._

_Also... I'm 21! I just turned last Wednesday, on the 21st! :D_

_Thanks to my wonderful and VERY patient reviewers Sirenia, Michi1207, Ginshi-Chan, MegalegU, MarianitaCullen, Doctor's Other Companion, Bubbles 975, United Profilers, Pipinheart, Spencer Reid is epic, Goddess-of-Genius, fireball1012, LenniluvsBrian, slavetotheink, HeavensDarkestRose, BurnedSpies, and Alligates! Thanks for putting up with me and my horrible computer problems!_

_**Spencer Reid is epic:** I can't believe it's over too! I actually almost wrote another chapter with a more detailed Clooney scene, but I got my computer back and added it here instead. And thanks for looking at my crossover! :D  
**LenniluvsBrian:** I thought you would. And I do that too; if I can't find my little Simon in my bed before I fall asleep, I panic. He's my best sleeping buddy! Also, if you have any leftover pointy sticks... :D_

_So for old time's sake: Please review! **puppy dog eyes**_

_Love from,_

_*~N_CBAU~*_


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